Runaway
by Firefly of love
Summary: As a disclaimer, I do not own this cartoon. First of a few Chapters that I plan to write. Please, comments are welcomed and I hope you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**Star Vs. The Forces of Evil**

Chapter 1: Runaway Teens

The end of the day drew near for the teens of Echo Creek High school. Tension became tangible as teens sat in wait for the bell to ring. More so for a young Hispanic male. He bared a red hooded sweater with brown pants. His hair was always neatly brushed to the front. His brown eyes sat above a notable mole on his right cheek. What was different for him today was that he was planning a big step towards getting the girl of his dreams.

"Marco!" The girl who sat next to him yelled. She was an energetic young girl, that was pouring from her blue eyes, with blonde hair that was caressing a red hair band that bore red horns. The girl sat in her desk all ready with a hop in her seat with excitement. "Are you ready to do the thing?" She started to poke at him. Marco began to sweat profusely.

"Keep it down Star. I don't want to draw any attention," Marco tried to hush her.

"Aw, come on. It's not like it is a secret that you like Jackie Lynn Thomas," Star gave the boy a nudge to his side.

"Yeah, ever since you let that leak from your website," Marco gave her an annoyed look.

"Hsssssss, yeah…. sorry about that. But you looked so cute practicing your pick up lines on cactus in your backyard," She winced at the glare.

"Forgot to thank you for that too. People have been asking if I was going to live in a cactus house in the middle of the desert and have little cactus kids," Marco remarked. Star reached into her desk and pulled out a drawing that had the artistic skills of a five-year-old child.

"I drew a picture," She whispered as she proud fully lifted the picture to the side of her face. Marco rolled his eyes.

"Anyways, I have it all planned out."

"You are not gonna pull out a list are you," Stars eyes rolled to the back of her head in annoyance.

"I made a list," Marco said almost immediately after Stars comment. "Step one; meet her in the hall. Step 2; exchange the classic 'Hi' to one another. Step 3; engage in some lively chitchat. Step 4; ask Jackie to the movies." Marco said with full pride in his list.

"Marco, you are never going to win her if you try and plan everything out all the time. That can be a real bore to a girl. Trust me, I am one," Star pointed to her face with both her hands.

"Yeah, but not all girls are princesses from another dimension," Marco remarked. Star Butterfly (full name) was indeed a princess from another dimension, known only to magical denizens of the universe, called Mewni. On her 14th birthday she was entrusted with a magic wand; a precious family heirloom. It was deemed that she wasn't ready for the pressures of princess hood (or the power of magic for that matter), so her family had sent her to live and grow on the earth. And it was through her enthusiasm that she would live with Marco Diaz and his family. Together the two have fought monsters and got into any trouble they could get into, even if they were all of Star's doing.

"Oh come on. Just be you. You don't need a crummy list," Star waved her wand and a beam of light struck his list and burst into flames. Marco jumped out of his seat and started to pat the flames away. The students in the class jumped in excitement to watch as Marco frantically put out the flame.

"Star Butterfly! What have I said about using that thing in class!" The teacher yelled.

"Sorry Skullzers!" Star jumped in fear.

"And stop calling me that!" Skullznick replied. Ms. Skullznick used to be a human being until Star had tried to help her with her love live. Now she lives her life as a troll standing 6 feet tall, green and very heavy bodied. A fact that use to bother her until she found out she would live to be around 400; making her a teenager again at the age of 50. Marco sat back down into his seat and looked at his friend.

"Maybe you shouldn't be using your wand right now. It's still busted," Star looked at her wand with sad puppy eyes. Her wand had a long thin neck with a large round tip. It had wings to either side of the tip. The only thing that was different about her wand was that half a star, that sat at the middle of the tip, was gone. It was lost to a battle to a fiend by the name of Toffee. Toffee had kidnapped Marco and had Star destroy her wand in the process. Her wand did make a recovery but the outflow of the magic has not been the same. As she continued to stare at her wand the school bell decided to make its presence known and gave a loud ring. Students began to jump in excitement, throwing their things into their bags and running out the door. Marco sat patiently and watched Jackie walking out the door with a group of friends. He took a deep breath and stood. Star stood with him and they began their trek out of the class room. Approaching the door, Marco stopped suddenly causing Star to bump into him. Star watched as Marco poked his head out the door to gaze upon an all too familiar hall way as if he was a new student from school. Star peeked out from under him. There she stood; Jackie Lynn Thomas. To Marco, she was a life time crush. Who couldn't want her he thought to himself. Her white hair with green streaks perfectly complimented her tan skin. Her green eyes seemed to cradle her cute face. She always sported her shell that hung down her neck that sat comfortably on her baseball style shirt and was caressed in the wind as she glided about the school on her skate board. She was too good for him; or so he always told himself. He pulled back his head almost as if he was ready to admit defeat. Star looked up at him with sympathetic eyes. "Maybe this is a mistake."

"Hey, come on. We have done hard things before. Just picture her as a monster and get out there and kick her butt," Star raised her fist to the side of her head. Marco gave her a what-are-you-talking-about look. Star frowned. "Okay. Scratch that. What I am saying is just go out there and be yourself. Come on. There isn't a single bad quality in you," Star try to encourage him. Marco sighed and smiled.

"Thanks Star. You really know how to cheer a guy up," Marco smiled as he walked out the door. "You coming?"

"Nah. I will meet you back home. Don't want to ruin your funky flow. Besides, you don't me there, a girl, to be in the way of you asking out another girl," Star jumped as she ran out the door. Marco smiled. He looked down the hall to see that Jackie was alone now.

"Here goes nothing…... Hey Jackie. Got a minute," Marco started as he walked down the hall, catching her before she got away.

Star ran through the door of the Diaz home excited that the day was finally done. She was so excited that she started dancing up the stair case to her room. Marco's mom and dad watched as this little blonde girl danced her way up the stairs.

"Looks like someone had a good day at school," commented Marco's mother. Star had burst through the door to her room. Her room was one that she had alter herself. With the use of her wand she had expanded a tower like bedroom with three floors, a balcony and a fairly large bed, all of with stuck out from the side of the Diaz's home. She threw her backpack across the floor and herself onto her bed. She had almost over shot her bed, so much that her head hung over the sides and her hair moping the floor.

"So comfy," her eyes half closed staring blankly at a grand looking mirror. This mirror that she was staring into had a gem that was blinking. Her eyes became wide. "I have a message!" She jumped in excitement. Her mirror served as her phone, contacting others from different dimensions. She walked over to her mirror and pushed the glowing gem. Then an image of a queen appeared. Her hair was white and took on a shape of a heart, she wore a blue dress. Unlike Stars hearts on her cheeks, this queen had diamonds on her. Star's eyes furrowed at realizing her mother was trying to call her.

"Star, it is your mother. I have urgent matters to discuss with you. Please respond as soon as you get this message. It is of utmost importance," The message of her mother said. Star sighed heavily.

"What do you want now," Star told herself. In her mother's eyes Star wasn't exactly a princess of the utmost high class. Sure she still loved her daughter but her mother has always been more duty bound and not as free thinking as Star. With another heavy sigh she pressed another gem on her mirror. "Call mom," Star said loudly. The mirror repeated her command and almost instantly her mother, the queen, appeared in the mirror.

"Aye, Star. I would have figure you would have ignored my call for a bit," Her mother stated. Star rolled her eyes.

"Good to see you too mom. Now…what do you want?"

"Straight to the point I see. I have a bit of oppressing news to you," The queen stood poised, preparing herself for her daughter's reaction. "Your father and I feel that you are making little progress on earth. Granted that you are learning to control your magic but your mannerism is still not suitable for a princess."

"Whaaaaaaat? I have been making progress here mother. I no longer run down the halls without a hall pass," Star tried to be serious. Her mother slapped her hand to her face. "And I no longer burp at the dinner table, just make some soft tunes with my nose holes," Star admittedly proudly as she started whistling through her nose.

"This is exactly my point. I feel that the people of earth are encouraging this behavior. They find amusement in all sorts of bodily functions and low brow behaviors. Which brings me to what I wanted to tell you. Your Father and I have decided to send you to St. Olga's Reform School." Her mother stated.

"What!" Star screamed as her heart fell down into her stomach. "Mother! You can't do this! I don't want to go to St. Olga's! I am doing great here!" Start had tears building in her eyes.

"I am sorry Star. You are a princess. We need you to act like one and you are not getting better on earth. We know that you and your little friend have been jumping to different dimensions. There are eye witnesses that can confirm that," Her mother explained.

"But mother I don't want to go. This family has been so great to me…. I made so many new friends," Star could not hold back her tears anymore. She felt her knees buckling in on her. Her mom did her best not to show any empathy, but even she would admit that there was nothing worst that watching her own daughter's world crumbling around her.

"I am sorry Star but the people of Mewni are going to need you one day and I fear that you will not be ready when that day comes." Star fell on her knees with her hands on her face. For the first time in her life she felt utterly helpless. She had battle monsters and demons but there was no fighting her mother. The queen watched for a moment longer before continuing.  
"I know it is hard Star, but your place is here. I will give you till this evening to say your goodbyes…then the guards of St. Olga's will go and get you. Goodbye." And like that her mom disappeared from the mirror along with any chance of objecting. Unable to stand, Star sat on her bottom and pushed herself to the side of her bed. She waved her wand and the lights in her room shut off and she sat there accompanied only by the sounds of her soft sobs.

Marco ran down the street that led to his house with much skip in his step. He would jump up and touch stop signs, swing off tree branches, he even did wait for a street lights to give him the ok to cross. He was walking on air. He swung the door open to his house, jump through the door way and threw his arms into the air as if he was a marathon runner being in first place.

"She said Yes!" Marco screamed in joy. His parents poked their heads out from the kitchen door way.

"Looks as though you had a good day at school as well," His mom said.

"Did I hear something about a girl?" He dad asked excitedly.

"I just asked Jackie Lynn Thomas to the movies and she said YES!" He jumped up again in join. His parents wrapped their arms around their boy.

"My little boy has asked a girl on a date!" He dad yelled.

"And she said YES!" his mom jumped as well. "My little man is growing up," Then his mom began to cry.

"Hey, who can say no. My boy is handsome," His dad rubbed his head. Marco was filled with joy. Then, he turned on his heels and started running upstairs.

"I got tell Star!" Marco flew up the stairs. He ran through Star's door. "Hey Star!" Marco exclaimed. "She said YES!" He flung his arms into the air again. He looked around and noticed that the room was dark. "Uh…Star?" He looked around and finally noticed the top of her blonde head was sitting on the other side of the bed. He began to approach slowly. As he cleared the corner, his eyes fell upon a defeated young girl. Never had he seen this energetic girl look so sullen. Her eyes were burning red, her hair was matted onto her face, she sat with her knees in her chest and her arms limply holding her legs. Marco cautiously sat next to her. "What's wrong?" Star looked up at him and dropped her head into his chest. Marco felt his shirt getting wet. Marco wrapped one arm around her shoulders and rested his other hand on her head.

"I… I …...," Star was having difficulty talking. Her voice was raspy from the crying. "I'm leaving." She finally got out.

"What do you mean?"

"My mother…is…is sending me to St. Olga's," Marco's eyes grew wide. "She doesn't want me to be here anymore. She wants me back on Mewni."

"But things are going great here! You are a breath of fresh air. You give people your energy and that is a good thing if you ask me," Marco rested his head on hers in response to Star's heavy breathing, hoping that it would calm her.

"There is nothing I can do about it. They are coming for me in the evening," Star felt Marco's breath growing heavy on her head.

"You can't go…. I have been able to achieve so much because of you…." Marco felt as if his heart would stop beating. Star looked up at him because the feeling of helplessness grew tangible around Marco. Star sat up from Marco's chest and quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and did her best to put on a smile.

"So…how did it go with Jackie?" Star leaned towards him with a sad smile. Marco couldn't look at her.

"What's the point. I wouldn't have been able to talk to her with you," Marco stared down at his feet. Star placed her hand on his shoulder. He finally looked at her. He smiled faintly. "She said yes."

"That's great Marco. I told you….just be you," Star smiled. Marco stood up.

"I wouldn't have been able to do it without you," Marco held his hand out to her. She sniffled and took his hand. She stood.

"Well…. I guess I should start packing," Star looked down.

"Yeah…. If you need me I will be in my room," Marco headed for the door. Star turned quickly to him.

"Marco!" Star called. He turned back. "Thank you for everything. Little do you know, I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without neither," Star smiled with tears running down her cheek. Marco smiled faintly with sadness in his eyes. He walked out and closed the door. Star bit her lip in an attempt to hold back her tears once again.

Marco lay in his bed the next hour staring into his ceiling. _It's not fair. Star was doing amazing here. He is learning to control her powers. Her personality is just amazing and everyone loves her for it._ Marco thought to himself feeling helpless. This young girl had to sacrifice her previous life to start a new one only to have this one ripped away from her too. And she did so without asking for anything in return. Marco lifted his phone to his face. _Has an hour truly gone by all ready? Maybe I should call Jackie. Maybe that will cheer me up._ Marco dialed Jackie. The phone rang only a few times when the girl of his dreams answered.

"Hello? Marco?" Jackie answered.

"Hey Jackie," Marco lacked enthusiasm.

"What's the matter?" Jackie asked. "You don't sound so hot."

"Actually, I am not doing so good. I was talking to Star and her parents are going to send her away…. she may never come back," Marco admitted sadly.

"Really? That sucks man. She was an awesome hang," Jackie didn't sound as distraught but only because Star was just any other friend to her.

"Yeah… she really doesn't want to go."

"I don't blame her. Maybe there is a way you can cheer her up. You are like her best friend and all," Jackie tried to cheer him up. "Why'd you call me anyway?"

"I thought… that maybe hearing you would cheer me up," Marco admit embarrassingly.

"You are silly," Jackie teased. The phone was silent for a moment. "So. What are you gonna do?" Marco lay there thinking to himself. _Star…you would do anything for a friend. You helped me in so many ways. You are my best friend…. And I am yours! If you would do anything to help me why can't I do the same for you!_ Marco sat up and looked at a duffle bag that was thrown to the side of the floor. "Marco?" Jackie finally said in curiosity if he was still there. Marco put his phone to his ear.

"Jackie… I am sorry but there is something I have to do. I…. I …. I won't be taking you out on Friday," Marco hated to say it but he was determined. He heard Jackie gasp on the phone.

"I… I understand. But I do have a question. Does she mean that much too?"

"She would never let me down… I can't let her down. Yes," Marco replied. Jackie chuckled a bit.

"Goodbye Marco Diaz," Jackie said.

"Goodbye Jackie," Marco smiled faintly. And with that Marco hung up his phone and got out of bed. He had some work to do.

Star was slowly putting her things into a pink duffle bag that Marco had gotten her. He wanted to take her to the coast but never got the chance to do it. She grabbed a photo that sat next to her bed. It was of her and Marco. As usually, Star was jumping through the air, both her feet were off the floor and an arm wrapped around his neck while he tried to play it cool with both is hands in the pocket of his hoody. Looking into this picture the tears started running down her cheeks again. She placed the picture into her bag and zipped it close. She looked around her room again. It already started to feel empty. Then there was a soft knock on her door.

"Come in," Star called softly. Marco walked in with his duffle bag. "Marco!? What are you doing?"

"Come on Star. We are leaving," Marco put a grin on his face.

"What?! What are you talking about!?" Star was confused. Marco walked up to her and place his hand on his shoulder.

"I am talking about running away. Let's run away from this," Marco smile grew.

"Marco! No! We can't do that! My parents will get mad! Your parents will be heartbroken!" Star pushed his hand away and walked back from him.

"Come on Star. You have always pushed me to be the best that I can be. You have always been there for me. Let me be there for you. We both know you don't want to go a play queen….at least not right now," Marco explained. Star stared at him.

"We can't Marco. You need your family," Star said quietly.

"I do… but it wouldn't be complete without you. I am not willing to lose you," Marco said. Star looked up into his face. "We can go to any dimension you want. I even have books on crop growing and hunting! Come on! It can be a whole new adventure for us."

"You are willing to do this for me?" Star stepped closer to him.

"Star, you have given me the courage and strength I needed to go about my everyday life. Let me use that to take you away from here," Marco held his hand to her.

"You really want to do this…...for me…." Star stared at his hand. She looked at him and smile as she took his hand. He smiled back. She grabbed her dimensional scissors and opened a portal. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Star asked one final time.

"Truthfully I fear for my parents but I am excited for the journey. Let's get out of here. No regrets," He smiled as he walked into the portal as he pulled her along with him. And with a big smile on her face the two youth disappeared unto parts unknown.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok. Chapter 2. I feel like it has been too long since the first chapter. But I know with the events of everyday life, in my case work, we don't always get to put all the time we want into our passions. In my case shipping. Yes. This is and eventual Starco. I wanted to build up to it. And I think I am finally getting the hand of this website. Also, I hope the line breaks don't confuse anyone. They are meant to show time elapse. Again comments and reviews are both welcomed and appreciated. Without further ado, here is chapter 2!**

* * *

Chapter 2: A New Life

Just on the outskirts of a fairly strange forest sat a humble cottage like home. The home itself was made of stone that was held together by cool gray clay. The roof was made of cut slabs of wood with shingles made of grass, thinly cut wood, and some of that clay again but dons the color red instead. To the back side of the of the home lay about two acres of planting fields with some sprouts beginning to poke from the soil. Fortunately for the homeowners there were other vegetation, that appeared edible, growing on the land. To the other side of the home lay the forest. This forest contained game for hunting, or at least one would hope for hunting and not pray for hunters. Some of the creatures that rested in the forest could easily shadow a standard size adult male and quite possibly devour them whole. And if that wasn't enough, some of the vegetation in the forest could devour an average adult itself. Ranging from giant Venus Flytraps to walking trees and even flowers that dug themselves up from the ground to reveal troll like plant monsters, anyone who was planning to hunt in these woods would need to be a highly skilled and very knowledgeable hunter.

Though the home was fairly new on the ground, at least a year old, the homeowners were no strangers to the land. It was a hard two years, but the two who had built the home with their own two hands could have never been more proud of themselves. They had made a decision that would change their lives forever. A young man, now the age of 16 ready to be 17, walked from the forest carrying 2 buckets of water and poured it into a large trough. A loud moo was audible and came a cow like creature; it had fangs, two heads, three eyes, and was the color red. Despite its evil look it was quite docile.

"There you are girl," The young man patted the cows back while it submerged its faces in the water. The young man wiped the sweat away from his face with his arm with a smile. Once this cautious kid, Marco Diaz grew few more inches. His skin was lightly darker due to his working in the fields, but his brown eyes still showed his compassion and his determination to be a hard worker. His mole still cradled below his right eye, his hair was a tad bit longer but he still combed it to the front. Since he has grown out of his hoody, he began to wear a sleeve less shirt that also had a hoody that his friend made. Seeing is she couldn't use magic she had to learn how to sow. She also had to learn how to barter if she wanted to be as colorful as possible. He wore black pants and a pair of farm boots that she also had to barter for.

"Marco!" A young blonde girl called from the window sing-songy. "Dinner is ready!"

"Coming Star!" Marco replied. Star Butterfly smiled as she hung half ways out the window. Two years ago her best friend made a decision to run away with her to escape the pressure of princess hood, to avoid her mother, and to avoid going to St Olga's Reform School for Wayward Princesses. Star didn't grow tall as much as Marco, but the features that made her a young lady began to make themselves apparent. As well as Marco, she was 16 getting ready to move on to 17(a month after Marco). Also like Marco, not much of her has changed. She was still this energetic blonde hair girl. Her blue eyes still screamed with excitement of the new day. But nowadays she wore her hair up in a ponytail that curled a bit at the ends and she still wore her horns. She made herself a dress that had the look of overalls, to mimic her look before, except that the clips went down to her waist, and was the color pink. Underneath she wore a white button up shirt that frilled a bit in the middle and puffed on her shoulders. The length of her sleeves fell above her elbows. She too wore farmer boots but that was because she wanted to match Marco. She did help him out every once in a while in the farm. Marco was just content if she wanted to help. Marco had entered the little cottage only to be invited by the smell of something cooking. The interior of the cottage consisted of wooden floors, a rug that they had gotten from a little market place, and a stone chimney place big enough to hang a cauldron in it. They had a sofa that Marco had made. It consisted of large branches that he smoothed out with a knife. The cushions were sewn from a thick cloth Star had gotten from the same market and stuffed with the wool of a sheep like creature. They had a chandelier like construct above their sofa that had lanterns to place candles into.

"Smells awesome in here Star. What's for dinner?" Marco sat at a wooden table that he put together. Star jumped from their kitchen area. They had a wood burning stove next to two large barrel like structures that had water and dishes in it. There where cabinets on either side of the window that sat above the so called sink. The table that served as their counter sat to the other side of the sink.

"Hobo chili! With watery brown gravy," Star jumped sing-song as she placed a plate in front of him. Marco gave her a shock look. "Heh-heh. Just kidding," she handed him a spoon. It was a cream white soup that had various vegetables, potatoes, squash, and carrots, along with what Marco kept telling himself was chicken. Marco put his spoon into his bowl, stirred the soup to help it cool and lifted a spoon full of soup into his mouth. He had this expression on his face as if he was melting.

"Mmmm. Star, this is amazing. You are really getting good at cooking," Marco complemented her. Star jumped in joy.

"I am glad you like," Star jumped in joy as she grabbed herself a bowl and sat next to him. "I caught a chicken dove today and took him to the butcher so he could clean it for us," Star admitted proudly. Marco choked a bit.

"You went to the village alone?" Marco was shocked. Star winced a bit.

"Yessssss," Star sounded innocent.

"Did you at least take your robe? We can't have anyone recognizing you," Marco asked.

"You worry too much Marco. I ain't no dummy."

"Star, you have your elbow in your soup," Marco pointed out. Star looked into her bowl.

"Uh….. I like it this way…. gives it more flavor," Star covered up. Marco shook his head and laughed. Star laughed with him. She grabbed a towel that sat at the other end of the table and wiped her elbow clean.

"Well, I am glad you came back safe," Marco remarked. "But you really shouldn't be taking off when I am not around. I don't know what I would do if I came home and you weren't here," Marco ate another spoonful.

"Sorry _mom,_ I won't do it again," Star mocked. Marco eyes lids fell half ways. "Lighten up. Everything was fine. Besides, look at what I got," Star sang again as she pulled from the seat, of one of the chairs, a bottle of wine.

"What's that for?" Marco was shocked.

"You mean you don't know?" Star felt shock herself. Marco shrugged. "Marco Diaz. What did you do for me two years ago?" Star stood up. Marco looked up at her. Then it was as if his mind got lost to the infinite universe. That was until Star slapped him in the back of the head. Marco jumped in realization.

"It _has_ been two years, hasn't it?" Marco looked up. Star put a warm smile on her face. "Wow. Time flies," Marco sat back in his seat.

"Remember when we first came here. We had nothing," Star sat back down next to Marco humbly. Marco stared into his bowl.

 _ **Flashback: 2 Years Ago**_

Marco Diaz and Star Butterfly had taken their first step out of the portal to a dark forest. Marco and Star both looked around to try and get a hold on where they were. Parts of the forest seemed familiar to them when Marco got a view of a clearing from the woods. He started to walk through the clearing. Once he got there his eyes widened. He recognized the dirty little village with the animals running around, street vendors selling stolen goods and the little market booths.

"We are on MEWNI!" Marco screamed. Star pulled him back down into the forest around a giant branch.

"Keep it down, Marco. Do you want to get us caught?" Star panicked.

"But wasn't the point of running away to get as far away from this!" Marco yelled as he raised his hands up to the castle Star once called home.

"I thought that maybe the closer we are, the less likely they will search for us. Or at least scour other dimensions before checking here," Star explained as she was waving her wand. Marco stared at her wand.

"Stop waving that thing! Someone might recognize it" Marco pointed at her wand. Star quickly tucked it into her bag. She looked down at her feet.

"Marco…. if you don't want to do this we can go back to your home."

"Star..." Marco walked up to her. "This was my idea…."

"But I am getting this feeling that you are regretting everything that we are doing. This isn't about you anyway…. why are you doing this for me," Star turned her head away. "Everything would have been fine if you stayed home and they take me away."

"Star, that wouldn't have been fine. You are my friend. I am only able to do this because you have given me the courage countless times to do something crazy. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have been able to talk to Jackie. You are more important to me than you know it," Marco placed a hand on her shoulder. She did her best to not look back up at him and reveal the tears that began running down her cheeks. Marco smile faintly. "Now come on. We are going to have to find shelter. It looks like it is getting dark out. Star, still refusing to look up just nodded. Marco took her wrist and led her into the forest.

* * *

A few hours had past and they found a thick rooted tree that seemed to start falling over. There was enough room for the both of them to sit up and lay down. Star and Marco walked around to see what they could find to close up the exposed parts of the tree. They found some large leaves and vines and they began to tie down the leaves. They could barely see each other due to the diminishing light.

"Ladies first?" Marco gestured.

"Sure go ahead," Star replied. Fortunately for her, Star couldn't see Marco's facial expression. Then she felt him push her in by her shoulders.

"I meant you," Marco ducked into their shelter. They had lined the bottom of the shelter with more leaves in hope that they would stay off the dirt. Star looked around their shelter in hope to see anything. She sighed.

"Well, I would say we did pretty well with the time we had been given," Star wanted to break the silence. She heard Marco chuckled.

"I think I agree with you on that one," Marco lay flat on his back. Star heard the rustling of him laying down and decided to do the same, both deciding to use their duffle bags as pillows. "Well, let's try to get some sleep. Tomorrow is a new day and we don't know what we are in store for."

"Yeah…. sounds good…." Star quivered. Marco heard her. He took his sweater off and had floated it onto Star. "Marco!" Star jumped.

"It's ok. I don't need it. I like a little fresh air," Marco commented with a smile. Star couldn't see it though. Marco lay to his side. "Yeah, I don't know about you but I forgot to store some blankets." Then he felt Star scoot to him. She lay with her back against his.

"We can keep each other warm," Star said. Marco smiled once again and started to close his eyes. Star did the same.

* * *

A few hours had passed and the two young ones were having trouble sleeping. For one, the floor was hard. Even with the amount of leaves they had, there wasn't enough cushion to keep them comfortable. Secondly, it was getting colder. Marco did his best to not think of the cold, especially since he gave his sweater to Star; he didn't want her to feel bad. And thirdly, there was so much movement outside. They heard claws scratching their tree, animals pouncing on others and many sorts of growls and chortles. One thing they were certain of, that was one of the most terrifying nights they have ever had.

* * *

Never before did Marco believe that the morning had its own smells. The smells weren't necessarily bad; they were just more notable due to his heighten sense of smell that was caused from his lack of sleep. The dirt gave a cool, almost muddy, scent. The leaves smelt of wet dust that reminded him of the dust that he would wipe off his laptop with a wet rag. Their shelter was still cool but began to build some humidity, making them feel sticky. As for the tree, it smelt like the park bench, which is made of wood, on a rainy day. As a matter of fact, all the scents were a bit welcoming and comforting. Without a sound, Star was lying next to him going through the same thought process he was going through.

"How'd you sleep?" Star finally broke the silence almost exasperatedly.

"Didn't sleep… too scared," Marco replied almost instantly. Star sat up to look at her best friend. Marco lay with his arm and legs sprawled out and eyes bright red staring up at the ceiling of their shelter. Marco looked up at her to find the spitting image of himself. Star's eyes were just as red with a darkness in her eyelids. Marco started to chuckle that also initiated a chuckle in Star. Marco sat up. "Let's see what we can find to eat."

"Yeah!" Star jumped up. So much that she hit her head on the ceiling of their shelter. Star grabbed her head from the sting. Marco just chuckled.

Marco stuck his head out of the shelter along with Star staring out from right under him. They look to opposite sides then switched. Marco walked out first. He cautiously walked out of the shelter while Star, on the other hand, skipped out of the shelter as if nothing would happen; which for the most part nothing did. Marco stood up tall and straight, once he felt it was safe, until Star bumped into him. Marco fell to his hand s and knees.

"So sorry Marco! I was just thinking of your ringtone. It's so adorable. _Space unicorn…."_ Star started to sing it to herself while she waved her wand side to side. In response, the wand started to pour streams of rainbows to go along with Star's glee. Marco stood up and dusted himself off.

"I was going to say you seem to relaxed here," Marco commented.

"Well I was born here. I may have not explored the entire forest but I have kicked plenty of monster butt out here," Star started to throw punches into the air.

"Great, but do you know where we can get some edible plants, fruits, or something out here?" Marco asked. Star started to think to herself.

"We can get some sandwiches from that one monster again," Star lifted her arm in the air.

"Maybe something a bit less dangerous."

"Come on, a little danger never hurt no one," Star tried to convince him but Marco folded his arms and glared at her. Star dropped her arms in defeat. "Fine…," She looked around then shrugged. Marco sighed.

"Ok. Let's just look around. But we shouldn't wander too far from the shelter," Marco concluded as he started to walk off. Star just skipped happily behind him. They looked around for almost an hour. Marco would look at some mushrooms but upon squeezing them the mushrooms hissed. Marco withdrew his arm in fear. Star walked right over a Venus flytrap with teeth unknowingly because she was staring up into the trees for fruit. Luckily for her it had a delayed reaction when it closed shut. Marco walked around it sweating for the fact that Star almost got eaten. "Uh Star. You need to watch where you are going before we end up getting eaten," Marco told her. Star looked around with squinting eyes. The area became increasingly familiar to her. Then she jumped in joy.

"Marco! We can find some honey berries that way! Come on!" Star made a sprint for it.

"Wait! Star!" Marco chased after her. Star was jumping gleefully over and under roots and swinging on vines. "Star!" Marco continued to yell, matching her leaps and swings. After a bit, Marco was right behind her. As if a sixth sense hit him, Marco felt as if something was creeping upon them. He heard a rustling in the bushes next to them. Without hesitation Marco leaped through the air and tackled Star to the ground. He was successful in keeping Star out of the maw of a mountain lion looking creature that leaped for Star, landing a good ten feet in front of them. This cat only had one eye, fur that ran from its torso down to its hind quarters. It's two front arms were covered with scales along with it two hind legs. Its tail was long and spiked and was swinging about like an angry cat. Star sat up and stared angrily at Marco, who in turned grabbed her by her cheeks and pointed her head at the cat.

"A scaled cat!" Star screamed as she jumped to her feet. Marco stood up next to her.

"You can't be running off like that! That thing almost got you!" Marco threw his arms into the air. The beast gave a loud roar that shook the two and charged them. Marco jumped into his Karate stance and when the beast got close enough Marco round house kicked the cat in the eye. It slid across the floor as it yowled angrily. Star jumped in front of Marco this time. Out of reaction, Star pulled out her wand and aimed it at the cat.

"Atomic Pacifier Blast!" Star yelled as three large pacifiers flew at the cat. Upon impact, the pacifiers exploded, sending the cat flying through the woods and away from them. "Oh yeah! That's how we do it!" Star cheered and she yanked on Marco's arm.

"Star!" Marco found himself yelling again. "You used your wand!" Marco pointed as Star rested her wand against her shoulder.

"So?" Star was still giddy.

"So? So what if someone recognizes it?"

"Marco, we are in the middle of the woods."

"But couldn't using your magic tip someone off that we are here on Mewni?"

"Uh…" Star then shrugged her shoulders. Marco slapped himself on the forehead. "Relax. If someone comes looking for us I will just zap them with more magic," Star spun her wand proudly. Marco just stared at her. "Come on, those berry bushes are around here somewhere." Star started walking. Marco sighed heavily and followed her.

* * *

Marco and Star started to walk back to their shelter. Star had made a bag with her wand, against Marco's wishes, so they could carry a good amount of berries, about a bag each. Marco stopped dead in his track because he heard the distinct sound of chatter. Star turned around to see in response to Marco's sudden halt.

"Marco?"

"Shush," Marco pulled Star down behind a bush. With his hands, he made a peep hole through the bush. Star squeezed her face next to his. There were three Knights walking around their shelter. "Oh no! It's the Royal Guards!" Star screamed silently.

"This is what I was afraid of. I am sure someone in your castle can sense your magic," Marco silently screamed as well.

"I didn't know anyone could," Star shrugged. "But… maybe my mom can. She is able to use magic without the wand after all," Star sat thinking to herself. Then they looked on as one of the knights began to speak.

"Her majesty said she had felt the magical ripple from around her," One of the knights had said. He was approached by another while one entered the shelter.

"Sir!" Yelled the one in the shelter. "There appears to be bags of some sort in here." Marco and Star gasped loudly.

"We are so busted!" Marco sat back while Star began to sweat.

"I gotta use my magic!" Star pulled her wand out in desperation. Marco jumped up and pushed Star's hands down.

"Don't do that! That's what got us caught in the first place!"

"Well what do you think we should do!" Marco eyes shifted from side to side in thought. Then an idea came across; evident by a smile on his face.

"Hey Star," Marco whispered.

"What?" Star leaned closer to him. Marco got closer to her ear.

"St. Olga's School for Wayward Princesses," Marco whispered. Star's eyes grew small as the panic began to well up inside of her.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Star screamed so loud that the forest echoed causing other creatures to roar and yelp and flock of birds to fly away. The Knights jumped from the force of the scream.

"What was that!" One knight yelled.

"It sounded like a damsel! It sounded like it came from that direction!" This knight then whistled loudly. In response, three warnicorns came running to their riders. The knights mounted their warnicorns and rode off towards Marco and Star. Marco pushed Star into the bush and then jumped in himself before the knights could spot them. They sat quietly until the galloping of the warnicorns were no longer audible. Marco sighed in relief. He climbed out of the bush and held his hand out to pull Star out of the bush.

"Good thinking Marco," Star complimented him.

"Thanks, but I think you should consider not using your magic while we are here. It sounds like your mother _can_ sense your magic," Marco patted off his pants.

"But Marco, we won't survive out here without magic," Star followed him back to the shelter. He went in and grabbed their bags. "What are you doing?" Star asked.

"We can't stay here anymore. They saw our bags. They know someone has been sleeping here. They will be back to investigate," Marco explained as he came out of the shelter. He walked by and grabbed Star by the wrist to pull her along. Star was starting to get annoyed.

"Let go of me Marco!" Star yanked her wrist out of Marco's grip. Marco turned around to look at her. "I am not a child! You can't treat me like one!"

"I am not treating you like a child! Star I am trying to keep you safe!" Marco became angry himself.

"Fine, call it what you will but you have been acting like I am a child since we got here! If anything, you are the one who needs protection! Without me, you wouldn't last 1 day here!"

"How can you say that Star! Everything I had done has been for you! Everything I have is back on earth! I left my family for you! I was finally able to talk to Jackie Lynn Thomas and she was going to go out with me! I almost had the girl of my dreams but I left her behind for you! I left all of that behind for you!"

"Well no one told you to do this!" Star was winded from the screaming. Marco stood back in shock. "Those sound like the things you would do for a child." Star said more quietly. She reached into her star purse and pulled out her dimensional scissors. "I don't need you to protect me. And if it is going to be like this, then…I …. I don't need you here," Star tossed the scissors at Marco who let the scissors him in the chest and landed on the floor. He stared at Star as a streak of silver ran down her cheek.

"Star…" Marco said as if he was trying to gasp for air.

"I… I thought everything would be ok because we would be here together, but all we have been doing is arguing. I…I … I am sorry I ruined your life," Star turned her back to him and walked away from Marco. All he could do is stand there and watch as his friend left him paralyzed with shock.

* * *

A few hours had passed and Star wondered the woods alone. The sound of the woods was not enough to break her thoughts. All the rustling and growling and claws that scratched the trees or ruffled the leaves could not break her thought. _Marco… have I really made your life that miserable? I thought our friendship was stronger than these petty arguments. I thought we were friends._ Star continued to walk aimlessly, ignoring any of the warning signs, hissing and growling of the woods. Because of said obliviousness, Star didn't have time to react when a bear like creature jumped from a tree. The creature stood before her 8-foot-tall with 4 bloodshot eyes, screaming with pure primal rage. Its torso was much more like an Olympian grade body builder with massive arms to boot. It stood on hooved hind legs. It wore massive ram like horns. The massive bellow of the creature paralyzed Star in fear. It wasn't until it charged that Star finally pulled herself together and whipped out her wand.

"Mega Narwhal Blast!" A blast of rainbows, smoke and narwhals were shot from her wand straight at the creature. In response, the bear like creature slid closer to her by sliding on its stomach to avoid the blast. Star aimed her wand to the ground. "Rabbit Rocket Blast!" Star launched herself into the air with a stream of blue light and rabbits. She used the forward moment to try and bring a kick down on the bear like creature. The creature watched her decent and swiped at her timely enough to knock Star out of the air. Star lay on the floor trying to recuperate from the attack. The creature stood over her, on his hind legs, and brought his paws up preparing to deliver the final blow. Star vision becomes fixed on the creature and she raised her wand up. "Mega Sonic Bat Screech!" A blast of white and black light shot from her wand along with a powerful bat like screech that was amplified the further it got from her wand. The sound wave shook the forest floor, causing howling and screeching from nearby animals. It was powerful enough to send the bear like creature flying across the force, trying to grip its ears, trying to scream loud enough to negate the sound of Star's wand. Star fell back and lay in the dirt for a moment panting and worrying; she had almost died. _Something is wrong. I have always been able to fend off monsters on my own. Nothing has changed. Except… except I had always had Marco. It has been forever since I had to do anything by myself._ Star felt pain in her chest from the stress of all that has happened. After a while, Star finally got back up and started to wonder the forest again, once again getting lost in her thoughts.

* * *

Nightfall drew near and the sounds of the forest began to pick up as it did the night before. The only difference this time was that she was alone. Star had sat on a tree root for quite some time wondering what she would do next. The only thing she could think of was waving her wand around, causing it to light up so she would have some light. Then, Star was spooked by the sound of distinct chatter once again. Star jumped around the tree she was by and looked out. Her eyes grew when she saw the same 3 knights that where tracking her down before. They had appeared to be following her foot prints in the dirt.

"The Queen had said she felt a magic ripple around here somewhere," One of the knights said. The other approached.

"And she said there was the presence of dimensional scissors being used back at that make shift shelter. They have to be within its perimeter still," That knight had said. Star's eyes had widened by the mentioning of the dimensional scissors. _He left me. He really left me._ Star felt her body grow weak from the sorrow. So much so that she lost her footing and slipped, causing one of the roots to snap loudly under her weight. The knights readied their hands on the pommels of their swords. One of the knights noticed a head disappearing into a bush off to the side of them.

"Star Butterfly? Is that you?" One knight called. "We have orders to take you back to the Queen. Your mother misses you very much." Star sat in the bush covering her mouth hoping that it would help keep her silent as the panic build up in her. The knight in the middle indicated that one knight went to the left while the other went to the right to try and encircle her.

"If you are Star Butterfly, please come quietly. You Mother has a hefty reward for your return. You can help us collect if you just come with us," One knight added. The other two shook their heads in response to the other. The trio crept ever so closely. _Marco…. I messed up big time._ Star thought to herself. Then there was a loud clank sound followed by a loud thud. Star turned and peeked through the bush to see one of the guards knocked out on the floor. Next to him lay a rock that had a vine wrapped around it.

"Hey!" The middle guard yelled. Star looked down further the trail to see a person standing before the guards. The person wore a white hooded coat with black trimming. The sleeves fell just above the elbows. His face was covered with the diminishing light and the size of the hood. "Who are you!" The knight yelled once again. The figure remained silent. "Speak or be slain!" The Knight grew frustrated. The figure remained silent.

"Have it your way. For Mewni!" The other knight yelled while charging the figure with his sword drawn. The figure spun on his heel and kicked the sword from the knight's hand. He then proceeded to wrap his arm around the knight's arm and bent the knights elbow inward, causing a loud cracking and an inhuman scream from the knight. The figure then spun again under the knight and kneed the knight in the chin, knocking him out cold. The other knight watch in a mixture of anger and fear.

"Who…who do you think you are!" The last knight yelled as he drew his morning star. He charged the figure who still held his ground. Once the knight was close enough, the figure kicked the fallen knight's sword up to himself and twisted the blade to cut the chain of the morning star, setting the spiked ball free from the bearer. He then followed up with a quick backwards spin to land a hit to the knight's temple with the pommel of the sword causing the knight to fly sideways unconscious. Star watched in amazement. She stood up from the bush feeling that this figure was waiting for her to come out of the bush. She walked up to the figure, giving herself at least ten feet of distance.

"Thank you…. I would have been in trouble if you didn't show up," Star said quietly. The figured looked up at her but only greeted her with silence. "Who are you?" She finally had to ask.

"Star..." The figure pulled down his hoody. Stars eyes widened to see the face of her best friend. Marco stared at her with saddened eyes. "Please… don't ever mistaken my worries with an unwillingness to help. I understand that I was starting to sound petty, but it was never meant to put in your head that I didn't want to do this. I know you are not a child and can fend for yourself, but I can't do this without you no more than you can do this without me." Star stared with shock and tears running down her cheeks. Marco chuckled a bit. "Looks like all I have been able to do is make you cry." Star wiped her eyes. She then stared at him again. He put a faint smile on his face and greeted her with a name she gave the two of them. "Mess up twins?" Marco held up his arms to her. Star started to breath heavy as she made a mad rush into Marco's arms. She began to let cries pour out of her with the mixture of anger, sorrow and happiness. Marco held her tight doing his best to hold back his tears. And after she got all her tears out they began to make their way down the trail.

"Where are we going?" Star asked quietly. Marco looked down at her.

"Well, I was thinking somewhere far. We can stay on Mewni, but we are going to have to leave this forest. After tonight, I am sure the knights are going to scour every inch of this forest searching for us," Marco explained.

"Good plan," Star agreed. She then looked at him again and smiled. "So… I have never seen you Karate that good before," Star complimented. "And I am digging the robe." Marco laughed a bit.

"Yeah. It was my dad's. He use to train at a gym to become a boxer but decided he wanted to pursue medicine instead," Marco smiled. Star smiled brightly as well but was interrupted by the thoughts of her wand. She held it out and stared at it.

"I… I think you are right. Maybe it is best if I put this thing away for a while," Star said as she stuffed it into her duffle bag. Marco just nodded as the two continued down the path, praying for no more excitement for the night.

 _ **End Flashback**_

Marco looked back up from his bowl to see a smiling Star. He smiled back. He then looked at the bottle that she carried.

"Ugh, aren't we a bit young for that?" Marco asked her. Star laughed.

"Please. I was already having wine by the age of 10. Besides, this is a treat," Star smiled. "You know… to thank you. We have been through a lot together and I feel like I have done little to deserve it."

"You being my friend is more than enough," Marco placed a hand on hers. She looked back up to him and smiled. "Ok. You got me. Let's see what the big fuss is all about," Marco said as Star opened the bottle and poured him a glass.

A few hours, and an empty bottle later, the two sat on the couch staring into the fireplace, giggling to one another. Star pointed her finger.

"You even retreat like weaklings!" Star exclaimed. Her cheeks and nose were rosy from the wine. Marco stared for a second. Then his eyes brighten, that were touch by red themselves.

"You are Ludo!" Marco laughed.

"Yeah!" Star laughed hard. "You are good at this," Star pushed him. They were silent for a moment, until Marco broke that silence.

"Oh man. Star. I want to thank you for this," Marco laughed. Star laughed as well.

"For what?" She asked, unable to catch her breath.

"For the experience. Believe it or not, this feels like the best thing to ever happen to me. Even better then Jackie Lynn Thomas agreeing to go out with me," Marco continued to laugh. Star on the other hand stopped.

"I don't know if that is a good thing," Star looked at him with drowsy eyes.

"No, it is not. It is the best of things!" He laughed. "Because of you I have proven we can survive on our own. I am going to be 17 and I am already a proud homeowner," Marco said proudly. Star stared into the fireplace and smiled.

"You mean that? You don't regret anything? Not even…. even Jackie?" Star treaded cautiously. Marco giggled.

"Yeah. I mean it. And that is not the wine talking. Which was fantastic. I never thought I would have my first drink like this! And there is no one I would want to experience this than with you," Marco complimented. He leaned back and closed his eyes. Star put a smile on her face. She looked at Marco.

"There is no one I would rather do this with than you too," Star said sweetly. She then heard snoring. She looked at Marco again and found that he was now soundly asleep. She lay her head on a seat cushion and closed her eyes as well until she dove off into a land of slumber.

 _ **Flashback: 1 Year Ago**_

Marco and Star had been walking for months, doing their best to put some distance between the castle and themselves. They were exhausted, they were hungry, but they did their best not to let that bother them. And then there was light. Marco and Star stared clear into an opening out of the forest.

"Look!" Star jumped in excitement. She sprinted out of the woods with Marco chasing after her. He was too excited to worry about the potential dangers ahead. Once they reached it they saw wide open fields. Blades of golden grass covered much of the ground, some wild buffalo and cow like creatures roamed around. And to welcome them, a breeze swept up and wrapped them in its coolness and Star opened her arms to embrace it.

"This place is amazing!" Marco exclaimed.

"I haven't seen this part of Mewni myself. I wondered how far we have gotten," Star replied. Marco stood next to her. He knelt down to feel the ground they stood on.

"Hey. This soil would be perfect to grow on. We can plant some vegetables and fruit here," Marco said excitedly.

"And, there is a river just a hundred yards into the forest! And there was a beautiful waterfall," Star jumped. "I want to swim with the fishes." Star got silly.

"That is normally a phrase you don't want to associate with yourself," Marco laughed as Star put a puzzled looked on her face. She then smiled.

"You thinking what I am thinking?" Star nudged him. Marco looked at her.

"Should we stay here?" Marco looked at her. Star nodded enthusiastically. Marco looked around. He felt the beauty soaked into him again. He breathed heavily and sighed peacefully. "Star, I think we found our new home." Marco smiled. Star jumped in joy, howling with excitement.

"It will be great; we can build a house on the edge of the forest!"

"And I have brought plenty of 'How To..." books so we can build a home with our own two hands. Oh! I can become a farmer!" Marco was excited. Star laughed.

"Classic Marco. Mister 'do it myself,'" Star patted him on the shoulder. The two stood on what would become their home in the coming year.

 _ **End Flashback**_

Star was on the couch peacefully sleeping when Marco approached her and covered her with a blanket. He smiled and walked back outside. The sun had set for the night but it still painted the sky with hues of orange, pink, purple and finally blue. He walked over to the half of his crop that seemed to refuse to grow.

Star inhaled sharply and felt that she was wrapped in warmth. This shook her awake. She sat up and looked around their home.

"Marco?" Star called, wondering where he had gone. She stood up, wrapping herself with the blanket and began her search. As she passed the window, she saw someone sitting on a barrel out in the back. She took a closer look and noticed it was Marco. Star had decided to join him outside. She stood quietly behind. "Marco?" Star called softly. Marco looked back and smiled softly then looked back to the crops. "What's the matter?" She put her hand on his shoulder.

"The crops aren't growing like they should. I think the seeds the man sold me in the market place were too old to grow." Marco explained.

"Well that's not cool," Star said. Marco chuckled.

"It's too bad. I was going to sell most of it in the market. Wouldn't hurt to have a little more coin on us," Marco sounded a bit saddened. "Or did I mess something up?"

"Marco, no. You did everything you could. It is not your fault if something doesn't grow. Everything else you have planted grew. I am sure that guy in the market is a fraud," Star wrapped her arms around his neck. Marco sighed.

"Thanks Star," Marco stood up and put his hand on her shoulder. "Maybe I can work for the Sabers for a little extra coin. We don't want to starve through the winter after all." Marco began to walk into the home. Star watched as her friend walked off dejectedly.

"Good night Marco. And please…. don't worry about it too much," Star pleaded. Marco looked back and gave her a smile.

"Come on, I am the safe kid after all," He joked as he entered the home. Star stared in sorrow for her friend. The sky was now completely blue and it was getting hard for Star to see. _Poor Marco. I wish there was something I could do for…._ Star stopped. She looked at her hands then she shook her head. _No! I agreed to not us magic. But he is so sad. But I could put us in danger again…..._ Star felt conflicted. She looked back to the house to see the light go out. Marco must have gotten into bed. She sighed and looked at the field. She walked over to the dirt and went down on her knees. "Ok…you can do this. Just dip down," Star told herself. But nothing. "Dip down, dip down, dip down," Star repeated to herself. She felt the frustration build up inside of her. "Please dip down! For Marco," Star told herself. _For Marco._ She felt warm inside as she told herself this was for Marco, seeing a smile of the boy who ran away with her painting itself in her mind. "Mother earth, please shine your graces upon this land and give this humble farmer and friend a plentiful bounty. Shine upon us so that his hard work does not go in vain," Star whispered as her hearts glowed brightly. Her hands were open to the soil and from her hands balls of green light floated outward to touch the ground. "Please. Do it for him…. anything for him." Star ended her enchantment. She looked to the ground and saw nothing came up. She sighed dejectedly. "Maybe it was something I ate." She blamed her stomach for the apparent lack of magic as she stood up. She covered herself with the blanket once again and walked back into the house. Without ever looking back, she would fail to notice the little sprout lings that emerged from the cool, loamy soil.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ok. It has been quite some time since i could get back to this. I had really wanted to post this sooner but I had so many days of work. And then I got pretty sick. But its ok. I am good now. Fit as a fiddle. I hope this story doesn't disappoint, I feel like writing gets harder the further you move along. Again, reviews and thoughts are welcomed. Without any further ado, here is Chapter 3.**

Chapter 3: Corn?

"Come on, I am the safe kid after all," He joked as he entered the home. Star stared in sorrow for her friend. The sky was now completely blue and it was getting hard for Star to see. _Poor Marco. I wish there was something I could do for…._ Star stopped. She looked at her hands then she shook her head. _No! I agreed to not us magic. But he is so sad. But I could put us in danger again…..._ Star felt conflicted. She looked back to the house to see the light go out. Marco must have gotten into bed. She sighed and looked at the field. She walked over to the dirt and went down on her knees. "Ok…you can do this. Just dip down," Star told herself. But nothing. "Dip down, dip down, dip down," Star repeated to herself. She felt the frustration build up inside of her. "Please dip down! For Marco," Star told herself. _For Marco._ She felt warm inside as she told herself this was for Marco, seeing a smile of the boy who ran away with her painting itself in her mind. "Mother earth, please shine your graces upon this land and give this humble farmer and friend a plentiful bounty. Shine upon us so that his hard work does not go in vain," Star whispered as her hearts glowed brightly. Her hands were open to the soil and from her hands balls of green light floated outward to touch the ground. "Please. Do it for him…. anything for him." Star ended her enchantment. She looked to the ground and saw nothing came up. She sighed dejectedly. "Maybe it was something I ate." She blamed her stomach for the apparent lack of magic as she stood up. She covered herself with the blanket once again and walked back into the house. Without ever looking back, she would fail to notice the little sprout lings that emerged from the cool, loamy soil.

Castle Mewni-

Deep within the castle of Mewni lay a grand bedroom at the top of the central tower. In that bedroom sat some of the more typical items that one would find in any bedroom but a bit more grandiose. To one of the walls in this bedroom sat a massive dresser with at least 20 drawers. The dresser was made of a dark wood that was trimmed with a string of gold beads. At the top of the dresser sat a large slab of a purple and black marble that had items for the daily grooming routines. Such items included brushes for the hair, clippers for any necessary trimmings and two large bowls for water to perform hand washing with towels to either side. Above the dresser was a large painting depicting a short, stocky King, a tall fair skinned Queen, and a blonde headed princess. To another side of the room was a large coat dresser with two mannequin sized heads to either side to hold their crowns upright. A few feet away from the coat dresser stood a large mirror that was surrounded by the same dark wood as the dressers and trimmed with gold; obviously placed where they can properly don their clothing. More importantly, in the middle back wall of the room lay a bed with suits of armor to either side that don spears and war axes. This bed could have been the equivalent to 2 king sized beds. It was held up and surrounded by the same dark wood as the dressers. On top lay silken purple fabric as the bed lining and sheets that was also trimmed in a woven golden fabric. The bed had a canopy that that, as well, had a purple fabric draping off. In the bed lay the King and Queen from the painting. The King had already begun to suffer the balding process that comes with aging, leaving the top of his head exposed. Apart from that he still had a long thick beard that was fading from its original blonde color. He was as short as he was in the picture, fairly stocky but still sported a fullness in his belly. The Queen on the other hand was much taller than the King. She was slim, compared to the King, with fair skin. Unlike the King, she lay more elevated to avoid messing up her hair that was already groomed and took the shape of a massive heart at the top of her head. Much like the princess, she bore two diamonds on her cheeks. The diamonds on her cheeks began to glow and in reaction the Queen's eyes bolted open to reveal the crystalline blue eyes that were hiding in her slumber. She sat up so quickly that her neck popped from the weight of her hair with heavy panting.

"River!" The Queen nearly screamed. In reaction, the King jumped straight to his feet onto the bed and putting himself into a fighting stance.

"I knew you would come for me one day Damian!" The king yelled to the top of his lungs. The queen just stared in confusion. Realizing that there was no danger, he turned slowly to meet the gaze of his queen. "Moon, darling… sorry about that. I have a …. history…. what seems to be the problem?" The King knelt down to her. The Queen was still confused with her King but decided to worry about that later.

"River…. I felt magic being used here on Mewni," The Queen finally exhaled. The King's eyes grew wide with anticipation.

"Is it…my little girl?" The King pleaded.

"I can't say…I have no idea…I just sense the ripples in magic," The Queen placed her hand on her forehead. The King jumped to his feet yet again.

"Godfried! Summon the Royal Guards!" The King ran out the room in his underwear and the Queen found herself confused with her King as she watched him run out.

* * *

Early that following morning, Star was walking out of the forest with a hop in her step and a basket that had an assortment of berries and a few eggs. She walked around to the back of their home where a pile of wood sat; it served as their cooking wood or for burning in their fireplace. She picked up a few pieces before she walked through the back door. She placed the basket on the table and inserted the wood into the stove. In a box next to the stove sat straw to start the fire which she grabbed a handful and threw it into the stove with the wood. As she stood straight to pat her hands off, she reached for an oval shaped red stone and a flatten gray stone. Once again, she knelt into the stove, aimed the stone at the straw and struck the stone sending sparks flying into the straw, instantly setting the wood on fire. All of this done with a smile on her face and her almost undefeatable energetic, upbeat attitude.

"I am awesome," Star pointed her thumbs at herself while singing to herself. She placed a pan onto the stove, cracked the eggs into the pan, and began to scramble it. A loud yawn made her jump a bit until she looked back and saw her best friend walking in and rubbing his eyes to rid himself of the crust that had built up from sleeping. "Morning sleepy head! See you didn't go out to practice your ka-ra-te this morning," Star jumped into a fighting position and threw punches into the air. Marco, barely able to open his eyes, smiled as he let himself fall into a chair at the table.

"Yeah, I thought it wouldn't hurt to sleep in a bit today. I'm kinda exhausted," Marco replied.

"Well there is nothing wrong with sleeping in every now-and-then," Star sat next to him.

"I guess. Wish I had your energy though. You seem to be built like the energizer rabbit," Marco chuckled. Star's eyes widened.

"What's that?" Star leaned in while giving Marco a look of suspicion.

"I take it you haven't seen the old battery commercials on earth huh?"

"Is he cuddly?" Stars eyes beamed. Marco just chuckled again.

"Never mind," Marco shook his head. Star smiled and stood up to get back to the stove. After a few minutes, she got two plates down from the cabinets and served Marco and herself some eggs. Marco smiled as she lay the plate in front of him before she took her seat next to him.  
"Where did you get eggs from?" Marco asked.

"Remember that chicken dove we ate last night?" Star leaned over the table with a big grin and an obvious sense of pride.

"Yes…." Marco leaned back a bit.

"Well I noticed it was a female chicken dove and figured that it had buried its eggs around the area I found it." Marco looked up at Star with concern. Star noticed it. "Chicken doves bury their eggs," Star responded to his look.

"Are you sure they are safe to eat?" Marco looked at his plate. Their plate had scramble eggs that were cared for enough that no signs of burning was seen. It was accompanied with an assortment of red, blue and green berries with a few slices of toast that was cooked in the pan. Star scooted closely to Marco while placing her cheeks into her hands, leaning on the table and staring at Marco.

"Pretty sure," She replied with a smile. Marco looked at his plate again, took his fork and scooped up a bit of eggs and took his bite. He lay his fork back down to ponder what he had just put into his mouth. He then greeted Star with a smile.

"I think we need to own some of those chicken doves," Marco complimented.

"Good right?" Star's smile grew.

"Yeah," Marco started to eat with a bit more gusto. Star ate happily. "These eggs had a great taste to them. Thanks Star," Marco smiled.

"You are so welcome, Marco Diaz," She smiled as she placed his plate on hers. "So, how did you sleep?" Star asked with much concern with the events of the previous night still running through her head. Marco chuckled in response.

"I slept fine. I think the wine helped me knock out. Thank you again for that. It was amazing," Marco chuckled as he looked at Star who had an unsatisfied look on her face.

"Anything else?" Star tried to get more out of Marco. Marco sighed.

"Well, I did have this crazy dream," Marco admitted.

"Was it one of those life crisis dreams again?" Star's eyes widened. "Or did you dream that you were a little naked old man having to go back to school again and none of the girls wanted to dance with you at the prom because you are a gross little naked old man!" Star was getting too excited with her own story that she failed to notice the look of shock and disgust on Marco's face. She averted her gaze to him slowly in realization that he had gone silent.

"Where did that come from?" Marco asked. Star gave a nervous chuckle as she shrugged her shoulders in response.

"Sometimes I like to keep myself entertained by making up weird stories," Star whispered loudly as her eyes darted back and forth. She cleared her throat. "Continue…..." She gestured with her hands as she sat back down.

"Anyways… there really isn't much to it. I was sitting in this empty field by myself on a picnic blanket with a picnic basket. I open the basket and all there is are ears of corn. I fish through the basket until I am surprised at the site of your face in the basket."

"I was made of corn!" Star jumped.

"What? No!" Marco replied.

"Oh, so you took my head off and thought you could bury me in corn, huh? You are sick," Star began to point her finger, giving Marco a look of suspicion onto his character.

"No Star! That is not what happened!" Marco got annoyed. Star fell back into her seat as she once again cleared her throat.

"Sorry….my mind was wandering again. Please continue," Star tried to posture herself as Marco shook his head.

"Like I was saying, your face was in the corn. All you were doing was staring at me with a smile on your face. That was until you screamed 'All this is for you!' Just after you said that the corn had started to shoot out from the basket. I was being bombarded by corn. And if that wasn't bad enough, giant ears of corn started to fall from the sky. I finally woke up when one of those massive ears of corn smashes me," Marco laughed it off a bit thinking of his dream. "Crazy right?" Marco looked up only to see that Star's expression was more of fear and concern.

"Marco… I think you were dreaming about the end of the world!" Star jumped to her feet yet again. Marco's eyelids fell half shut.

"What?"

"Yes. We will be smashed by giant ears of corn falling from the sky until we are buried alive in a sea of corn…...it will be the Corn-ocalypse! AAAAAAAAAaaaaaaagghhhh!" Star screamed loudly. After about a minute, she looked at Marco who looked as if he was annoyed.

"Is it all out yet?" Marco asked.

"Almost. AAAAAaaaaaaagggghhhhh!" Star began to scream again. Once she was done she inhaled deeply. "Okay, I'm done," She looked at Marco, who this time was shocked. She cleared her throat and rubbed her chin in thought. "Maybe you have a corn allergy?" Was all she could come up with.

"You know, sometimes I am afraid of what goes on in your head," Marco stood up as he took their plates to the sink.

"Oh, trust me Diaz, you couldn't handle what's going on in my brain," Star pointed to her head. But she had succeeded in making Marco laugh. She smiled. "Want me to wash those?"

"I got it. It's not fair that you always…." Marco stopped mid-sentence as he stood in front of the window. Star's smile fell backwards at the thought of what could make Marco speechless.

"Marco?" Star called as Marco made his way to the back door, almost in a sprint. Star followed as well, quickly but cautiously. Marco stood before a once barren field that was nothing more than mounds of dirt and maybe a few occasional sprouts. However, now his fields where lush with tall green stalks, taller than he stood with green pods jutting from the sides. Star walked up next to Marco slowly finding herself in shock as well.

"Something grew…...something grew!" Marco screamed in joy. "It actually grew!" Marco shook Star by her shoulders. He ran into the fields with much joy and enthusiasm. "It's a miracle!" He was jumping up and down in his field.

"Wait, Marco!" Star yelled as she chased after him with joy.

"Come on Star! Join me!" Marco ran through the fields with his arms opened wide. Star couldn't help but laugh with excitement. She even found herself howling with joy. Marco was jumping around in circles in his fields with Star spinning around right behind him. Marco stopped dead in his tracks and turned to Star where he picked her up and spun her around. Star couldn't help but laugh with Marco's joy. That was until he tripped and they found themselves rolling in the dirt, taking out a few stalks with them. They ended on their backs with their final roll with Star's head resting on the inside of Marco's upper arm. Panting heavily from the joy they had felt, they lay for a few minutes. Their eyes met and seemed to stare into each other for a moment. Then they both greeted each other with a loud gasp and reddened faces. In unison they jumped up to their feet and patted themselves off of the dirt they got on themselves. Marco cleared his throat. "Well, …. Shall we see what we grew?" Marco scratched the back of his head. Star, still colored red, could only reply with a nod. Marco walked up to the stock and began to feel a familiarity with the crop. He took an ear off of the stalk. "This looks like…." Marco peeled the leaves off to reveal white corn. "…. corn." Marco said faintly. He looked around his field with bewilderment.

"Corn?" Star jumped up next to Marco and stared at the vegetable in his hands. "It's…...white. Oh no! Someone has licked all the yellow off of it!" Star screamed as she slapped her hands to her cheeks.

"No. It's just white corn," Marco looked at it again.

"White corn? You mean it comes in different colors?" Star took the ear of corn from Marco to examine closer.

"Yeah. On earth, we have it in yellow, white, and colored kernels. Everyone eats the white and yellow corn but seem to reserve the colored corn for livestock," Marco explained.

"So…. we can eat this?" Star looked at him puzzled.

"Yes."

"You sure it isn't sick? Looks a little pale."

"You can eat it Star," Marco chuckles as he took it from her. "But why did I grow white corn" Marco looked at her puzzled.

"Well we do have corn on Mewni, but it is usually yellow. But one of the ladies in town the other day said that corn was kind of scarce right now," Star opened another ear of corn to, her amazement, find more white corn.

"What?"

"Yeah. People's corn has been stolen by monster, or just up and vanished mysteriously, for months already. At least, that is what the villagers have been saying," Star explained. "People aint seen much of it lately." Star started to sniff the corn. Marco stood thinking to himself which now seemed to worry Star a bit. Marco was too analytical to just miss it.

"Star… corn doesn't grow over night," Marco turned to her with a quietness to his voice. Star winced because she knew what he meant. _Busted._ Star thought to herself as the shock filled her face.

"Ok, Marco. Just listen to what I got to say before you…." Star began to say before Marco interrupted what she had to say.

"You used magic, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did. But you were just…" Star tried to say again until Marco turned away from her and began to walk out of the fields. "Marco…," Star called softly. Marco continued to walk. "Marco!" Star yelled hoping to get his attention. Marco had walked into the house. Star ran up to the back door when Marco came out again. He had a bow that he had made to hunt the wild game, with a quiver of arrows. "Marco, please…" Star pleaded as she tried to block his way out.

"Star!" Marco raised his voice with his opened hands to her. His hands were opened to stop her. His eyes grew watery as he bit his lip and started to walk away again. He walked straight into the forest, leaving Star to watch with pain filled eyes as her best friend walked away without saying anything more to her.

* * *

A couple hours had past and Marco was sitting by the waterfall that was located a good 100 yards into the forest. It was relatively close to the house but he wouldn't have stopped there this entire time. He had wandered the forest until he got tired and traveled back to the waterfall where he can get fresh water. He sat staring into the crystal clear water, after washing his face off of sweat. He was lost in thought. _How could she do this? How could she use her magic? She knows they can find her if she uses her magic. And at that, we don't even know the extent of her mother's power, how well she can pinpoint her. Why would she risk everything we have done?_ Marco stared into his reflection. He noticed his eyes furrowing, the anger he felt and then the potential loss of his friend. Then, all of a sudden he looked ridiculous. What was the point of running off the way he did? _Why did I get so angry?_ He sat just staring into his reflection. He saw flashes of rainbows in the water. _Star_. A realization came across his face. He pictured the young girl who he helped run away from a responsibility that she never wanted to grow into. This girl was energetic and that energy flowed into him and it gave him the strength to accomplish his impossibles in his life. This girl that he decided to leave everything behind for without every thinking that this young girl would do the same for him. The same girl that, just last night, wrapped her arms around him and told him everything would be all right. Star Butterfly, the girl who would do anything for him and never think twice. _Marco Diaz. Grade A student, terrible people person. Of course she would do this for me. She is Star. She may be wild and energetic but she has a heart to match them both. I am an idiot. I shouldn't have gotten mad at her…... especially because she did this for me._ Marco slapped his face into his hands and held it there. He felt like a jerk. His over calculating nature angered him when he should have approached this more emotionally. _I was so low and she was willing to put herself in harm's way to make me happy. I got to make it up to her somehow._ He looked up to see that same rainbow shine in the water again. He squinted and noticed there were a few stones shining at the bottom of the waterfall that were giving that glow. Marco stood and dove into the water. He swam down a few feet to grab the stones, of which there were three, and swam back up. He caught his breath to be surprised by the sound of splashing and squealing. He swam out of the water and hid behind a bush to find a wild boar drinking from the waterfall. He smirked as he pulled up his bow and drew and arrow.

* * *

Star was pacing back and forth in the home wondering where Marco had disappeared to while talking aloud to herself and arguing with herself.

"Marco… where did you run off to? You know what? Who cares! He had no right to get mad at you," Star flipped-flopped to herself between being concerned and angry. "But he was just worrying about you. He doesn't want you to get caught. So what if you used a single spell. It was a self-less act. But he has been self-less all this time as well. Well stomping off angrily without so much as a thank you seems pretty selfish to me," Star crossed her arms and stuck her nose up in the air. "But you knew there was a chance that he would get mad. There, _still,_ is no reason why he should have gotten angry," Star dropped her arms with a heavy sigh. "I did this for him…... and that is all that matters. I knew of the possible consequences. I took the risk and I know it will be worth it." Star gave a faint smile as she walked over to the couch where she would let herself fall into a seat. "Ugh… arguing with myself is exhausting…" Star looked out towards one of the window to the front because she heard chatter in the distance. She stood to look out the window a bit better to take notice of something shiny coming towards her. Star squinted her eyes to try and focus on the object until her eyes grew wide. "Oh no…" The sound of trotting became clear as did the sound of metal clanking against metal. The chatter was coming from full grown men. "…. the Royal Guard!" Star jumped as she ran back and forth in the living room as a child would try to run from punishment. "AAAAAAAaaaaaaaaagggghhhhh!" She finally decided to run straight into her bedroom and dove under the bed. "Going INCOGNITIO!" Star screamed as she pulled a blanket from the bed and wrapped her face and upper body behind it, leaving her feet exposed on the other side of the bed.

* * *

Marco was making his way out of the forest with the boar's legs tied together with a vine that was also long enough to drag it with. He looked back everyone once in a while at his catch and smiled. He hovered his hand over his pocket to make sure his trinket was still there and would smile yet again. _I hope this patches things up._

At the edge of the forest, Marco her chattering from a distance. He looked around to see if he was being followed but then was caught off guard when he got a shine in his eyes. He looked towards their home and noticed 4 Royal guards on their warnicorns were making their way to Star and his' home. The blood rushed into Marco's face with panic. So much so that he didn't think twice to drop the vines and leave his kill there and make a mad sprint home. _Star!_

Marco watched the guards tentatively, using an open opportunity to run straight into the corn field. He used the cover to move quickly towards his home. He watched to make sure no guards were coming around the back and bolted for the back door. He snuck in through the back and tiptoed through the home, doing his best to make no noise.

"Star!" Marco whispered loudly. "Star!" Marco snuck his way to the bedrooms where, at the door way, he saw her blanket pulled under her bed and two feet sticking out the back side of her bed. Marco sighed with relief to see she was still there, and silly none the less. He slowly got to his hands and knees and crawled his way towards her. He reached forward and pulled back the blanket from her face

"NNNNoooooo!" He was greeted with two frighten eyes and a scream that he quickly covered up with his hand.

"Shush!" Marco raised a finger to his mouth.

"Marco!" Star's eyes grew large and watery with joy. Star and Marco both slapped their hands to their mouth's when they heard a loud banging on their front door.

"Anyone home!" A guard with a deep raspy voice called out. "We are here on behalf of the King and Queen of Mewni!" Marco and Star lay quietly so they could hear the footsteps of another guard walking towards the back of the house. Marco looked up from the bed and saw one of Stars window cracked open. The sweat began to pour from Marco's forehead as he crept up slowly to peak out the window. He saw a tall, red head male with a long thick beard, beefy arms that stuck out his chest piece like tree trunks. Along with his beard, he had 3 braids dangling from his face and a pony tail to the back of his head. Next to him was another guard that was just as burly but had blonde hair instead and wore a helmet with ram horns. This guard also carried a large battle axe with him. His eyes showed that his mind was rushing in thought. _What are we going to d—_ Then an idea. He jumped over the bed and landed down next to Star who jumped in reaction. He pulled the sheet off of Star's head.

"Marco, this not time to be bed making," Star scolded.

"I am not making you bed," Marco retorted. "I got a plan," Marco said as he whispered his plan into her ear. Once it ran itself into her mind, Star smiled and nodded in agreement. She rolled out from under her bed, opposite from Marco, dove over her bed and Marco, rolled across the floor and ran straight to Marco's room. Marco took Star's sheet and wrapped it around his head and made a turban that had one end of the sheet hanging out the back of his head. The knocking continued as Marco grabbed his robe, that he used to blend in at the market place, that hung in the living room. He threw his robe on as he walked over to the door where he cracked it open enough to reveal only a third of his face. The guards turned to the sound of the cracking door.

"Yes. How may I help you?" Marco tried to fake an accent. It came across as Russian, but not too well.

"Greetings young man. We are here on behalf of the King and Queen of Mewni," The red bearded guard repeated himself.

"Is there something the matter?" Marco asked.

"The King and Queen have an issue with a missing child of theirs. The Princess has gone missing for a few years. WE have orders to search this place," The blonde guard stated as she began to walk into Star and Marco's home. Marco just backed off in fear of getting trampled by this guard who was obviously a bit sterner than the red bearded one. Marco watched the guards when he noticed that only two guards had entered their home. _Wait a minute, wasn't there four guards?_ Marco thought to himself. The red bearded guard stood next to Marco while the blonde one searched about the kitchen area.

"Is there anyone else here in the home?" The red bearded guard asked.

"Uh…" Marco began to say when Star came out from Marco's room looking rather annoyed that was evident by the furrowing brows and the boiling energy pouring from her eyes. She, too, had covered herself with a hijab, only exposing her eyes, and wrapped with Marco's sheet to appear as a robe.

"There is men outside my room! I almost show face to him," Star as well, for some odd reason, tried at a Russian like accent. The back door swung open and another guard walked in. This one was far slender compared to the other brutes but he had long flowing black hair with a longer nose then the other two that had a deep scar embedded into it. He was scratching his head apologetically.

"Sorry miss. Didn't mean to look. It honestly was not my intention to peep on a lady," The guard bowed. The red bearded guard raised an eyebrow to Marco.

"In my culture it is forbidden for our women to attract eyes of other men," Marco explained. The guards simply nodded.

"So then this is your…..."

"Wife!" Star jumped quickly to Marco's aid. Marco turned a deep shade of red as Star walked over to Marco to wrap her arms around his hanging arm.

"Well it is a pleasure to meet you," the red bearded guard fell to one knee and held his hand out in attempt to reach for hers. Star just stared at the guarded.

"In my country, our women are also forbidden to touch other men. She is to belong to one person and one person only," Marco added as he noticed the confusion painting itself on the guard's face.

"Fair enough," He said as she rose to tower the two once again. "If you don't mind me asking but what country are you from?" The guard signaled for the other two to investigate the other rooms.

"We are from…um… Saudi Arabia?" Marco wanted to see if the guards knew where that was. He simply nodded his head again.

"Never heard of it," Was his response.

"Yes. It is from other dimension," Star added. "We travel here for new life."

"Interesting."

"Sir!" Another guard yelled from the window. This was fairly slender as well and sported short brown hair. He had one eye that looked as though it was going blind. "These people are farming corn," The guard said. The red bearded guard, along with the other two made their way through the back door. Star and Marco looked at each other with much concern that they followed the guards hastily. Now together, the four guards stood staring into Marco's small corn field, a bit taken by shock.

"Is there problem," Marco asked nervously.

"No sir. We have just been having a bit of a corn shortage lately. Corn has been disappearing left and right, there is not a lot of it growing right now," The red bearded guarded explained as he took an ear of corn carefully and opened it. To his surprise, the corn was white. "What is this?"

"It is white corn. You no have?" Marco added quickly.

"Never seen it white before," The brown haired guarded responded.

"Yes. In my country it comes in other colors too. White corn is much sweeter compared to yellow corn." Marco explained.

"Sweeter then yellow corn, you say?" The blonde guard almost starting drooling at the thought.

"Yes. Please, you take some and try. I have plan to sell some in market place. My wife and I can use a little money during the cold season," Marco insisted. The four guards looked at each other with a smile and started to harvest ears of corn, which they had took about ten to twelve ears each. They retrieved satchels from their warnicorns and placed their corn on them.

"Thank you for your hospitality young man," The red bearded guard thanked them.

"My pleasure. But I do request that you tell no none else of my fields. If what you say is true I would like that no one come and rob my fields," Marco pleaded. The guard chuckled.

"It is our duty to protect the innocent folk of this land. We will share this with no one. You have my word," The red bearded guard mounted his warnicorn. Then he pulled on the reigns to turn his beast.

"Before you leave, I am curious. How far is this palace Mewni? Maybe we go visit," Star asked. The guards seemed to chuckle again.

"Oh little lady, it is quite the trip. If it wasn't for the fact we rode here on warnicorns we probably be walking for days. Your highness sent us off in the middle of the night," The guard laughed again. He wiped his eyes and looked at the home again. "You have a beautiful home there. I wish you two the best of luck and welcome you to Mewni," He waved as the four guards rode off down the path to begin their long trip home. Star and Marco turned around and sighed heavily in relief as they both walked back into their home. With the door shut behind them they both stared each other in the eyes and began to laugh.

"Wow Star, you were great," Marco wiped the tears from his eyes.

"I know, I know. I am a natural born actor," Star placed her hands on her chest as she boasted. They continued laughing.

"How about your wand?"

"Please, even you wouldn't be able to find it," Star boasted.

"So it is tucked away safely?" Marco laughed in relief.

"You bet," Star laughed as well.

"My wife!? Great cover up," Marco chuckle nervously. Star then turned bright red with a light chuckle.

"It was the first thing I could come up with," Star said. "Hey, wait a minute," Star then got angry. She puffed her cheeks and let herself drop into the couch.

"What?" Marco stopped laughing.

"I am still mad at you Marco Diaz," Star pointed her finger at him. Marco sighed as if he knew this was still coming. He sat into the cushion next to her.

"I get it. I was being a jerk. I shouldn't have gotten mad at you," Marco slumped his shoulder as he admitted to her.

"Not only that, you walked away from me. I thought you were going to leave me," Star's tone of voice change into a sincere, almost fearful one.

"Yeah, I know I made you feel that way. But I am not planning on leaving you behind. I just get worried. I don't want anyone to take you Star. It's the only reason I don't want you to use your magic. If it wasn't for the fact that your mom can sense it, I would say go for it; use all the magic you want. This life isn't easy. A little magical help would be great but it isn't worth compromising your safety. I would have never asked you to take a chance like that. I mean, look at what just happened right now."

"But you were so sad. I wanted to cheer you up," Star turned to him.

"And I know that. You are Star Butterfly. You have always wanted to make everyone happy, even at your own expense. No matter how dangerous or destructive it can be," Marco looked into her eyes. Star's eyes were screaming with how touched she was by Marco. "You are all the family I got right now. I can't lose you."

"Marco…." Stars eyes got big and water as she hugged Marco tightly, one of which he needed desperately. Star could feel a heavy sigh of pain and relief leave his body. She let go of him and was met with a dreamy smile. Marco then reached for his pocket.

"I made you something…to apologize," Marco pulled a necklace from his pocket. It had three blackish purple crystals that, when turned in the light, shined rainbows across the surface. The lace was of a straw like grass that was soft enough that wouldn't cause irritation to the skin. Her eyes were filled with wonder as he carefully fitted it around her half bun, half ponytail and gently hung it around her neck.

"Marco… where did you find this?" Star was staring into her necklace.

"I found them in that little waterfall in the woods. I wanted to make it up to. I also g-" Marco paused in realization. He didn't get to bring the boar home yet. "Oh NO!" Marco yelled as he ran out the door.

"Marco!" Star chased after him. Marco ran to where he left the boar only to find a scaled cat was already eyeballing it. From the looks of it, the cat had just arrived. The scaled cat lowered itself into a pouncing position in surprise as Marco approached it. The cat and Marco stared each other down for a moment.

"Oh no you don't. That belongs to me," Marco knelt down slowly to grab the vine that was wrapped around the boar and unraveled it to get the vine free. The cat roared as it flung itself at Marco. Marco jumped to his side to avoid the attack. Marco then rolled on his back as he whipped the vine like a lasso around the cat's neck. Marco pulled on the vine to tighten his grip on the cat. Star ran to the edge of the forest to see Marco fighting with the cat. She looked around and found a large branch.

"I'm coming Marco!" Star screamed as she ran towards them. The cat turned quickly and pounced yet again at Marco but instead of the cat catching Marco in its maw it got a whole lot of branch to its face. The force was strong enough to the knock the cat out. They were both panting heavily that, upon looking at each other, turned into laughter.

"Yay!" They both yelled as they high fived each other.

"We still got it!" Star pointed her thumbs at herself.

"Yeah we do," Marco place a hand on his hip. "So what should we do with him?" Marco looked at Star who turned to him and put a devious smile on her face.

"How flexible do you think that branch is?" Star pointed up while Marco turned to look.

Thirty minutes had passed and Marco had the flexible branch tied down to the ground. Star was rubbing her hands together.

"This is going to be awesome," She chuckled evilly to herself. Marco stood next to her with his bow at the ready.

"Is this really necessary?"

"Come on Marco. We need to get rid of him quickly and none of us really wants to drag him into the woods. He can wake up at any moment," Star explained. "He will be fine. Once you cut the vine with your bow, it will sling the cat back into the woods, unraveling his feet mid-flight so he can land safely on his feet," Star smiled with her head tilted sideways. Marco shrugged in response.

"Ok. If you say so," Marco pulled back his arrow and took aim. The scaled cat had chosen this time to opened his eyes and saw the two staring at him with a bow. The cat yowled in fear as Marco released the arrow, striking the vine that sent the cat flying, and roaring in fear, through the air without the unraveling of the vine that Star said would happen. Marco looked at Star with his eyes half closed. Star chuckled nervously.

"So I was wrong about the unraveling. It wouldn't be the first time I made a mistake," Star said as she grabbed the remainder of the vine that she used to tie the boar's feet yet again. "Now let's take this thing home so I can cook it up," Star started to pull from the vine. Marco shook his head with a grin and grabbed the over end of the vine so they could pull it together.

"No, no. I will cook for us tonight. You deserve to take the evening off," Marco insisted.

"Awe, thanks Marco," Star said with a shaky voice as they hauled their dinner home.

* * *

Marco had made a fire in the back that he had encircled with stone to make a sort of grill. He had a few metal bars that he used as a grill to hold up the limbs and chunks of the boar that Marco had sliced himself. Marco sat in front of the grill on a stool, turning the meat every now and then. He also had corn boiling in the pot that sat in the middle of the chimney. As for Star, she took the time to sit in the field and enjoy the coolness of the evening. She sat within Marco's line of sight because he was still actively paranoid of them being spot. He watched as the blonde girl stood up and started running through the field giggling loudly to herself. It was the time of year that the grass took on its many shades of green with small red and blue flowers sprouting around the grassy land. She ran with her hands down to brush her fingertips along the flowers and blades of grass then letting herself fall to a roll. And she would laugh as the frogs jumped and croaked straight up from the grass to avoid being rolled on by the girl. Along with the frogs, birds would bolt out from hiding in the grass, screeching in surprise as the girl rolled by. The only one who couldn't seem to avoid the girl was Marco Diaz himself. A soft smiled crept its way onto his face as he watched Star enjoying herself. Only when a sudden pain grew within his chest did he finally seem to notice what he was doing. The increasing intensity made him shake his head in attempt to come to grips with reality once again. _What was that?_ Marco thought to himself. Star jumped back up to her feet and ran straight for Marco.

"Marco!" Star jumped in joy. Marco, who had his gaze fixed on the cooking meat, looked up to see her smile. Star pulled up another stool to sit next to him. "Thanks Marco. I feel like I needed to burn off some energy. And what better way to that then rolling in the grass," Star panted from running.

"Seems like it," Marco remarked with a chuckle. He patted his hands together. "Well looks like our meal is done. Should we go inside?" Marco asked.

"Aww, I wanted to eat out here. It so peaceful and fresh," Star gave him puppy dog eyes.

"Alright. We will eat out here. Let me go get some plates," Marco said as he stood and walked into the house. Star turned her gaze to the meat that was still searing and crackling from the heat.

"I think I will help myself to a little nibble," Star ripped a piece of meat off of one of the legs. She bit into it and gave a heavenly sigh. "So good," She whispered to herself. She decided to help herself to another sliver. Marco stood behind her and watched quietly, until he couldn't help but give a light laugh. "Marco!" Star jumped from the surprise.

"So? Is it good?" Was all Marco asked. Star blushed a bit.

"It's fantastic," Star sounded like a little girl who got caught with her hands in the cookie jar. Marco sat back down next to her.

"Good. I am glad you like it," Marco handed Star a plate with two ears of corn.

"Oh I have been waiting to try this all day," Star placed the plate on her lap and lifted the corn to her mouth. With her first bite, she got the crunch that was just right to pop all the sweetness into her mouth. Her eyes began to water. "So sweet…" Star squealed as she began to eat faster. Marco chuckles as he watched her.

"I knew you would like it. Mom and Dad didn't get white corn for you before because they wanted you to feel like you were right at home. They were afraid that this subtle change would bring about some home sickness or something," Marco smiled. The sudden quietness along with the sound of an empty cob of corn hitting her plate caught Marco's attention. "Star? What's wrong?" Marco put his plate on the floor to place his hand on her shoulder.

"Your parents…... I took you away from them…" Star began to cry. Marco sighed a sadden sigh.

"Star, no. You didn't do anything. I did this. We are here because of me," Marco tried to reassure her. Star wrapped her arms around her abdomen.

"But you only did this because of me," Star replied. Marco then gave a faint chuckle. Star was taken by surprise to his reaction. She looked up to see his smiling face. "Why are you laughing?" She asked.

"You are never going to let go of this guilt, are you?"

"What?"

"Star, don't feel bad about this. You know my parents would understand why I did this. Albeit, they would have strongly recommended I didn't do this, but they would have supported my decision in the end. They love you like you were a member of our family. Besides, as long as we are together, they would know nothing would happen to us."

"How could you be sure about that?"

"They are my parents Star. I know them just as well as they know me. Like you said, my parents are 'actually cool,' or something," Marco quoted her. Stare wiped the tears from her face and took a deep breath with a heavy sigh. She then wrapped her arms around Marco who embraced her in return. She let him go and looked at him.

"Marco Diaz, you sure know how to make a girl feel good. Too bad Jackie won't get to know that." With a sudden realization of what she just said, Star bit her lip. But she succeeded in making him laugh.

"Yeah, well. I didn't have her from the beginning. It's hard to know what you lost if you never really had it. Much like she won't ever know what a handsome dude she lost," Marco joked as he made a selfie face, lips pouting and everything. Star laughed as she pushed him off his seat.

"Now I know you are joking. But yeah, you are pretty great," Star retorted. Marco just laughed as he got back into his seat.

"Now, let's eat," Marco handed Star a leg before he served himself. She graciously took it and they ate peacefully.

* * *

The Queen was pacing back and forth in the royal bedroom while the King sat in his chair polishing a battle ax. He looked up to his Queen.

"Darling, would you not be more comfortable if you sat down. We don't want to have to resurface the flooring the way you are wearing it down," The King tried to joke with his Queen.

"River! How can you joke knowing our daughter is out there on her own! She could be lost and hungry! Or worst!" The Queen found herself yelling. The King sat back a bit.

"Come now darling. Star is not the weak little kitten you think she is. After all, she has my fighting skills! Hiyah!" The King proclaimed as he threw his ax at one of the portraits hanging on the wall. Or so he tried and only succeeded at throwing his ax out the window.

"Ow! My arm!" A loud scream came from outside. The Queen turned to stare at her King who had a pouty face on.

"That was my favorite ax…." He whined.

"Oh River, I don't know if I can handle this today," The Queen's eyebrow twitched.

"Incoming call," The mirror in the bedroom called. The Queen jumped to the mirror with the King following closely behind.

"Milady," The red bearded guard's image appeared in the mirror.

"Cedric! Thank Mewni. So what did you find?" The Queen went straight to the point.

"I regret to inform you, milady, but it was just another dead end. All we found were farmers. A young couple who have come from a place called…Saudi Arabia?" The guard looked to another who just nodded in agreement.

"Saudi Arabia?" The Queen repeated only to get a shrug from the King. "Any idea where that is from?"

"None milady."

"Any trails on who used magic in the area?" The King stood in.

"I regret to inform you sire but no," Cedric replied. The Queen sighed dejectedly.

"Must have been another witch or sorcerer," The Queen turned away from the mirror. "Thank you Cedric for your good work. Come home."

"Thank you, milady. And for what it is worth, I give you my deepest apologies. Cedric out," The image on the mirror disappeared as the reflective part returned. The Queen started to walk away slowly.

"Moon?" The King called softly.

"Oh River…. this is my fault. I wanted her to grow up before she was ready. I wanted her to be a proper princess. I should have never reacted so harshly with her," The Queen sat into a chair to stare into her lap with watery eyes.

"My dear. She is fine. I am sure of it. If I recall you were quite the rebellious little girl yourself at her age." The King gave a hearty laugh. He even managed to get a chuckle from the Queen who looked at him with a smile.

"I don't recall being that bad," The Queen finally gave into his charm.

"And don't forget, she is with that Marco fella. His parent says he is very responsible. I am sure he is taking care of our daughter," The King tried to reassure her. Then his smile fell. "Unless this was part of his plan. No it couldn't be. It can be. He planned to run away with you baby girl. But she can take care of herself right? Not against a boy's youthful charm. She is a Butterfly! She cannot be easily swayed. Not unless she was forced by him," The King began to banter with himself. The Queen looked on with a frighten look.

"Darling?"

"You can't take my little girl! She is still innocent!" The King yelled.

"River!" The Queen countered. The King snapped out of his delusion.

"Sorry darling. I guess I am paranoid in my old age," The King chuckled as he scratched the back of his head.

"Right…. now I know where Star gets it from," The Queen whispered to herself.

"Anyhow, I am sure they are watching over each other. They will be fine until we find them," The King tried to reassure the Queen.

"I suppose," The queen sighed as she stood up from her chair. "I am exhausted. Coming to bed dear?" The Queen turned to the King.

"I will be in soon…just as soon as I get my ax!" The King yelled as he jumped out the window. The Queen sighed as she slapped herself on the forehead.

* * *

The sun was barely touching the horizon when Marco and Star made their way back into the house. Marco took the dirty dishes to the sink and started to wash them. He heard a pen dropping onto the table behind him. He looked back and saw Star placing a quail pen and a parchment onto the table.

"What's going on?" Marco asked as he grabbed a towel to dry off his hands.

"This, Marco Diaz, is the makings of a letter. You and I are going to write a letter to your parents," Star sounded determined.

"What?!" Marco screamed.

"You heard me. We are going to apologize to your parents for worrying them and we are going to tell them we are doing fine," Star began to write on the parchment.

"We can't do that! They will know we used the dimensional scissors to send it off!"

"Already thought that one through. See I have a theory that when we use the dimensional scissors to send someone through the portal it produces a tangible amount of magic. On the other hand, we are just going to make a portal large enough to squeeze a letter through. Ergo, we won't tap too much into magic for it to be noticeable."

"I don't know Star. I don't want to risk another encounter like today."

"Come on. I am sure they would love to hear from you. It is not like you haven't thought about it already."

"What?" Marco stood back.

"I know you still have my scissors. And I got this stuff from your room," Star waved her hand over the pen and parchment. "I figured you were going to write them eventually. You care too much to let things go on like this. Well I care too Marco. I…. I really want to apologize to them…. for everything," Star looked down to see her hands forming fists that began to shake uncontrollably. Star was a bit annoyed that Marco had already planned to write them but was shock that he never went through with it. Marco felt a burn in his chest. He walked up to Star.

"Ok Star…. if you say so," Marco smiled as Star looked up to him with redden sad eyes. She sniffled until she could form a smile.

"It'll be fine. I promise. But don't go planning to do something this important without including me again," Star tapped Marco in the chest with her fist.

"I am sorry."

"It's ok. Besides, if we need to we can act like foreigners again and give away even more corn," Star and Marco shared a good laugh.

"I don't know. I was looking forward on having a bit of money on us. Can't have any of that if we gave all our corn away," Marco sat at the table as they began to write the letter.

About an hour went by and they finally finished the letter. It would have been done sooner if not for the constant bickering of what was to be put in the letter. Nonetheless it was done and Star opened a portal big enough that she could slip her hand into. The portal opened up into a quite home and in flew a letter that gently glided onto the coffee table of the Diaz's home. Without a sound, the portal closed.

"Thanks for that Star," Marco smiled.

"No problem. Little magic never hurts every now and then," Star nudged Marco with her elbow.

"I guess."

"Now if you excuse me, I need a bath," Star said as she walked out the door to make her way to the waterfall.

"You better hurry! It's getting dark!" Marco yelled out the window to see Star was already at the edge of the forest.

"Don't worry mom! I can take care of myself!" Star yelled back as she disappeared into the woods. She carried a change of clothing along with a towel and a bar of soap. It took 10 minutes to walk to the waterfall where she arrived and giggled to herself. "So peaceful." She took off her overall/dress and stood with her white shirt. It was long enough that it covered her pelvis area. Then she heard a rustling in the nearby bushes. "Hello?" Star called out softly as she covered her body with her dress. No response. "Marco? Is that you?" She called again but still no response. She looked around but saw nothing. She calmed her breathing and felt as though she was alone, making herself comfortable to put her dress back down. That was until she heard her name being called.

"Star…" A male voice came from a bush as a figure stood up from behind it. With her dress already on the floor, Star could only attempt to cover herself with her hands, covering her pelvis with one hand and hovering her other over her breast.

"AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!" Her scream was so loud that animals howled and yowled and screeched from all corners of the forest. More importantly, Marco could hear it from their couch. Marco jumped up to listen more closely.

"Star," Marco eyes widened as he said her name silently to herself. "Star!" Marco ran out the back door with his bow and quiver with arrows. Marco bolted into the forest hoping that Star was ok.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ok. Chapter 4. I know it feels like I take forever to get this on the web but I have been trying to manage work life, home life, and fun life all together. Also, I feel like I should share this; I have hit a sort of writers block. With the new SVTFOE, I have found that it is getting harder and harder to remain cannon. Until it hit me... I dont have to be cannon. I told another writer once that Marvel and DC do this all the time with their comics...they answer 'What if.' What I mean is that their characters and their stories are always changing. We as the fan pool of SVTFOE have created a universe for her. It is up to us how that universe is affected. Some of us may love Tom+Star, some of us love Starco, and some of us love Tomco. I guess what I am trying to say is that it doesnt matter if we play to the actually story, we can play things out differently. In our story, what we think is their reality. I will still try and play parts to the actual story but I will still have my own workings in it. That is what we do as fans after all. These characters fill us with ideas, love and fun. So no matter how you work your story have fun and worry if it doesnt go along with the show. After all, how many BF's has Black Widow have in the Marvel univers. LOL. Without further adieau, here is Chapter 4. Comments and review always appreciated.**

* * *

Chapter 4: Self-Welcoming Guest

He ignored the burning in his chest that desperately cried for breath with each step. He ignored the branches that seemed to reach up from the bushes or down from the trees as they scratched at his arms, leaving cuts all over his face as well and ripping at his clothes. He even ignored that his legs were growing ever weaker with each stride he took, threatening to give up from under him and tumbling him to the ground. The only thing that he focused on was a scream of terror, so loud that it woke sleeping creatures from all corners of the forest. So loud that he can still hear it ringing in his ears. That this scream came from his best friend, who he felt was in danger right at this moment. Nothing else mattered to him right now. Nothing but the fact that he needed to save her. And then there was a loud explosion.

"Star!" Marco's screams were filled with terror and desperation. Pain grew worst with each exhale, losing his breath. As he drew closer to the waterfall, a clear but shadowy figure stood up from behind a bush with its hands up as if it was surrendering.

"Wait! It's just me!" The figure panicked. Marco felt anger grow inside that gave him the extra strength to fling himself through the air like a vicious scaled cat. The two rolled across the floor as a result of the tackle. Marco used the momentum to pull an arrow from his quiver and draw it back on his bow. The roll ended with Marco on top of the figure with an arrow aiming at his face. But it was Marco who was taken by surprise staring at this figure, no unable to control his heavy panting.

"Marco!" Star screamed. Marco looked up and saw Star floating towards him with the hearts on her cheeks and her eyes glowing.

"Marco!?" The figure yelled in anger. Then the figure busted into flames, sending Marco flying through the air, sending him in the mouth of the waterfall.

"Marco!" Star fell to her feet, running into the water. She swam to where he fell until he resurfaced, gasping for air. "Marco! You're ok!" Star jumped up and pushed him back down into the water with the force from the weight. They both resurfaced and Marco wrapped his arms around her.

"Forget about me! I was so worried about you," Marco released her and held her face in his hands. Marco and Star treaded water while staring into each other's eyes, both watery and filled with relief.

"What is this!" The figure stood on a rock overlooking the two in the mouth of the waterfall. This figure was a bit taller than Marco with a torn red shirt with a star at the chest and torn brown pants. His skin was a bluish gray with grayish red hair. His three glowing red eyes and horns were a big giveaway that he was not human. This demon glared fiercely at Star and Marco who broke their stare upon each other to stare at this demon that they know as Tom.

"What are you doing here, Tom!" Star eyes furrowed with anger.

"I have been looking for you!" Tom replied equally as annoyed. "And I find you here making goo-goo eyes at Marco!" Marco and Star's eyes shrank in realization that they were staring at each other quite affectionately. They quickly broke away from each other and cleared their throats. Without saying anything to each other, they swam back to the shore. Marco helped Star up on her feet and she responded back with a small smile and a light blush. Tom ran straight up to Marco and stared him angrily in the eyes.

"Could you not do that?" Marco's grew annoyed himself. Star walked up next to Marco.

"How did you find us?" Star asked.

"I have been scouring Earth all year. When I realized you were there I figure I would search Mewni next. I had a feeling that you wouldn't travel anywhere you weren't familiar with," Tom explained. "I was going to be the hero of this story. The one who was going to bring you home. Then I find that this measly sack of meat is here with you!" Tom pointed at Marco.

"Hey," Marco pushed Tom's hand out of his face. "Name calling is not appropriate."

"You attacked me! You are lucky I didn't stick you on a pike and roast you like a Zandar Boar!" Tom yelled again.

"I was trying to save Star!"

"Who said I needed rescuing!" Now Star got annoyed. The boys turned to her. She chuckled lightly. "Sorry. I was getting caught in the moment."

"Star… I heard you screaming form home. I feared something had happen to you so…I ran as fast as I could," Marco lowered his head. Star looked at him sympathetically.

"And you hurt yourself along the way. I would have been fine…but look at you," Star attentively touch a big scratch his face. Marco smiled faintly.

"I know you can. But…," Marco started to think. "…but them you used Magic." Marco looked up. Star laughed nervously. "Where's your wand?"

"At home where I hid it," Star folded her arms. "Hey we are supposed to be worried about you." Star glared at him.

"Never mind that," Marco brushed off. "So…how did you use magic?" Marco was getting nervous.

"I guess I … I dipped?" Even Star became confused.

"Your eyes and cheeks were both glowing," Marco scratched his chin but them winced in pain for scratching his cut.

"Well yeah…I _can_ use magic with my wand," Star laughed nervously again.

"Right," Marco looked to the side.

"I have to interrupt you bickering but did you say home?" Tom was becoming annoyed again. Star and Marco turned to Tom, forgetting he was there. Then Star looked down at herself remembering that she was only wearing her shirt. Tom and Marco both looked down in unison in response to her. Star's face grew bright red as her eyes filled with terror.

"I… I didn't get to bathe…" She looked at Tom and Marco who had both turned red themselves. "Get…OUT OF HERE!" Star screamed as she used one hand to pull her shirt down and wave her other hand at them. Her cheeks began to glow again and with each wave of her hand she sent balls of light that exploded when they hit the ground; sending the boys running ahead of each explosion. "GO, GO, GO, GO!"

"Star! Stop using magic!" Marco yelled as Tom and himself disappeared into the forest.

* * *

Marco and Star were walking side by side, leaving Tom to walk by himself behind them. Tom sulked as he did; his arms hung by his side swaying side to side with his shoulders slumped over and grinding his teeth with anger. Star and Marco would snicker to each other every time Tom began to mumble angrily to himself.

"What's so funny!" Tom finally had enough. Star and Marco jumped in response. Star looked back at him.

"Why are you following us?"

"Back there you said something about a home. I am here to investigate the meaning of that," Tom's eyes never left Marco who just ignored him.

"Nobody invited you over," Star glared at him.

"Come on Star. It's me, Tom. When have I ever listened to the rules," He boasted. Star raised a hand angrily. Marco grabbed her by the shoulders and yanked her in front of him. Her eyes grew wide with confusion.

"We would love to have you over Tom," Marco said sarcastically. Tom simply growled with anger. Then Tom's expression changed to one of shock. Star and Marco continued to walk home while Tom stood at the edge of the forest. He stared at the little stone cottage that sat just on the outside of the forest. He stared at the small crops that was growing behind the home, a large tub that had water in it, probably for a large land animal, and a small wooden shack that stood a few feet away from the home. The home and the land was even more quiet and peaceful as the light from the horizon diminished, painting every in hues of blue. Tom finally snapped out of it and chased after Star and Marco. The two reached the back door and walked in, leaving Tom to run up after them, jumping through the back to watch as Marco was stacking wood in the fireplace while Star lit a few candles. Tom looked around, staring at the wood floors, pillars of wood holding up stone walls, and at the fact that they had furniture which included, but not limited to, a sofa and a kitchen table. Their rugs and cushions were decent. Tom sighed.

"I see what's going on," Tom said. Marco and Star both stopped what they were doing to stare at him. "You are keeping Star hostage! And forcing her to do your bidding!"

"What!?" Marco and Star both screamed.

"You are a sick man Marco!" Tom pointed his finger at him.

"Tom, you got the wrong idea!" Marco jumped to the accusation.

"So, what? You kidnapped her to turn her into some sort of love slave?!" Tom accused again. Star became red and flustered with anger.

"I am not a love slave!" Star screamed.

"So you are in on this?! How is this a fair fight for Star's hand if you go and run off with her!" Tom never took his gaze off Marco.

"Ok. Now I am certain that you have the wrong idea. We are not in love!" Marco became bewildered and blushed uncontrollably.

"And here I thought you were going to put up a fair fight. I could have kidnapped her too!" Tom refused to listen to anything Marco had to say.

"I am not fighting you for anyone!" Now Marco was becoming angry.

"Come on Marco. You have been against me from the beginning! You know I am better looking than you and would eventually win Star's heart. So you go and run off with her into the middle of nowhere so you wouldn't lose her to me!"

"Who said I was competing with you! This is not what it looks like. And even if it was, Star wouldn't have you because you are a selfish jerk!" Marco lost his cool.

"Marco!" Star jumped in between them. The boys both curled in fear at the sound of her voice. "I don't know what you are thinking but it needs to stop." Star pointed her finger at Tom. She then turned to Marco. "And you need to stop fighting with him. It is only egging him on." Marco took a step back in shock.

"Hang on Star. I didn't start anything," Marco noted.

"Yes you did! By taking her away from me!" Tom jumped over Star's shoulder.

"Zip it!" Star wagged her finger at Tom again when she turned to him. Tom bit his lip while Marco sighed in annoyance.

"Fine. I'll stop," Marco admitted defeat, though he still felt it was unjust. He looked up at Star who had a small smile of sincerity on her face. Marco couldn't help but to smile back. He then walked up to Tom and held his hand out to him. "Truce?" Marco said. Tom glared at Marco but then turned to Star who was glaring at him.

"I guess…for now," Tom shook Marco's hand.

"Great! Now that that is settled…." Star jumped up as she clapped her hands together while walking up to Tom, grabbed him by the shoulders, turned him around and started to walk towards the door. "…it was great having you here but now it is late and you should probably go away now!"

"Whoa! Hold on Star!" Tom planted his feet that was forceful enough to stop her forward momentum. "I am not going anywhere. I came out here to find you and I am not leaving until you leave her with me," Tom tried to explained but was presented with a scoff.

"I am not going anywhere with you Tom. Now thanks for stopping by! Good night!"

"But-," Tom tried to say but with a good push, Star was successful at getting him out the door.

"Phew! I thought he would never leave," Star exhaled as she let herself fall against the door with a heavy thud.

"Right," Marco smiled. His smile began to fade when he looked up to Star. "Was I really that bad?" Marco became concerned as he sat at the table. Star had made her way to the cauldron that was hanging above the fireplace. She grabbed a bowl of hot water.

"Oh Marco. I am sorry. It's just you boys were fighting like an old marry couple and I didn't know how to stop you two. I was counting on you to cool off before him. That guy has some serious anger issues," Star explained as she sat at the table next to him after grabbing a towel and placing it in the bowl. Marco chuckled until she started to clean the cuts on his face. He winced at the sting. "Don't be a baby. You did this to yourself."

"For you," Marco replied. His eyes jolted to the side, hoping she didn't see him blush. Then he put a devious smile on his face.

"What?" Star smiled back.

"I think it is time for me to get mad at you," Marco replied. "You used magic… without your wand." Star chuckled nervously. "How did you do that?"

"Well what can I say. I was scared and alone. Poof," Star wiggled her fingers, her thumb holding the towel. "Magic." She whispered. Marco sighed. "Are you mad? That looks like a mad face."

"Actually Star, I am relieved. I was so scared that something had happen to you. I am glad that you were able to defend yourself." Marco stared into his hands as if he was expecting for something to pop out from them.

"Thanks Marco," Star wrapped her arms around him. "But it is not like I can control it still. It was just some dumb luck that I was able to do that anyway," Star released him. "It is kind of nice to know that you are always looking out for me, you know, despite how annoying it can get," Star nudged him in the side. He giggled.

"All the same, I think we should get out of the house tomorrow. Just in case those guards decide to investigate again."

"Yeah. Sounds like a good plan!" Star clapped her hands together, forgetting that the towel was in her hand, squishing the water out of it and sent it splattering into her face. Marco laughed at her. "We can go to the market place and sell some of your corn." Star began to pat Marco's wounds down again, after drying off her face.

"Great idea," Marco stood up once Star was done. He rubbed his eyes. "I don't know about you but I am ready for bed."

"Uh, I know. I think I have had enough excitement for one day," Star stood up as well. They blew out the candles in the leaving room before retiring to their bedrooms. Star stood at the doorway before entering her room. "Uh, Marco?" Marco turned to her before he entered his room. Star had her hands grasped around her necklace Marco had made for her. "Thanks… for everything you did today," Star fought as hard as she could a blush that threaten to paint her face. For some odd reason, she looked stunning to Marco. Her gold hair was down and untamed, her voice was soft, softly caressing his ears. She had one hand holding the doorway; she was sincere and innocent and that was what took his breath away.

"Your welcome," Marco exhaled.

"Well…good night," She entered her room and closed the door, leaving him standing in silence for a bit longer to ponder what was going around in his head.

* * *

Marco woke up early the next morning and ventured to the fields as part of his usual routine. As it was, Marco did not want his karate to be a lost talent. So every morning, almost every morning, he made it a habit to practice his forms before the sun would come out and greet the day, then he would commence with his daily chores. Marco began his practice with a short period of meditation. He would then proceed with his battle stances and brawl with the air, seeing that he did not have the proper equipment. He grew increasingly proud because the daily farm life was helping him build lean muscle and endurance, with some help of a regular exercise routine he had made for himself; he felt that his kicks were getting higher with less effort.

Star, herself, usually slept in every morning but this morning she had woken up early, mostly by accident. She was laying width ways on her bed with her upper body and feet dangling off the sides. She was even snoring, mainly because her position on the bed was cutting the expansion of her breathing. With a loud snore, the sheets underneath her slipped causing her to fall into the scorpion position. With a loud pop in her back, she kicked her feet over, slamming them into the floor and was now lying flat on her stomach.

"Ow…" Star whispered to herself. She stood up next to her bed and tried to rub out the pain in her back. She then proceeds to rub the pain in her head. She reached down to pick up her blanket and threw it on the bed. She opened the door to her room and took a step out. Fortunately for her, she still fitted into her old night gown, back from when she was fourteen. Albeit, it was a bit shorter and tighter now. She felt no need to dress for the day yet since her days don't usually begin this early. She walked into the kitchen to get some water that they kept in a barrel made for producing wine. They were careful to never put anything dirty into it so they would not contaminate their drinking and cooking water. They also kept it closed with a lid so nothing would fall into it. She grabbed a ladle that they kept in the cabinets with the cups. Star filled her cup with water, closed the barrel and drank happily from her cup. Once she was done, she placed her cup into the sink. That is when she saw Marco out in the fields where she watched as this young man practiced his forms. Star admired how his lean arms seemed to caress the air with each wave. His body was shining with seat. Star was so interested in watching him that she failed to notice that she was leaning over the sink with her right arm holding up her head and with her left arm swaying out the window. She failed to notice that she put a warm smile on her face and eyes half closed as if she was staring into a dream. She gave a faint sigh of pleasure. More importantly, she failed to notice a horned young man standing next to the window that she was staring out of, who watched her very reaction from beginning to end. Marco, unbeknownst to Star, became a fairly appealing to the eyes as this strong young man who clanged to the ideal that 'to get anywhere in life, you have to work hard for it.' And at that moment, Star realized it was really paying off for him. Tom, however, couldn't keep his mouth shut anymore.

"What are you doing?" Tom almost looked disgusted at Star. Her eyes shot open as her head slipped from her hand causing her to gasp loudly.

"Tom! What are you doing here?!" Star screamed. Marco heard her from where he stood. He looked towards the house and saw Star was hanging out the window with Tom staring at her. Marco grumbled at the sight and had decided to walk back home.

"I have been out here all night!" Tom yelled back.

"Why didn't you just go back home? I strongly hinted at it," Star was getting annoyed.

"I told you I wasn't going to leave here without you."

"And I told you that wasn't going anywhere with you."

"Tom… how nice of you to stop by again… so early in the morning," Marco said sarcastically. Tom turned to him.

"Well you know, I thought I'd stop by to steal back my ex and see how that betrayal you did to me was coming along," Tom replied wryly.

"Oh man, it is too early for this," Star began to rub her eyebrows as if she was getting a headache. Marco looked to her and sighed.

"Why don't you come in. We can talk things over while we have breakfast. We have leftover boar we can warm up," Marco opened the back door with his arm held out indicating that Tom should enter their home. Tom watched him suspiciously.

"How thoughtful of you Marco. I think I will take you up on that offer," Tom entered the home. Marco had got some fire wood to throw into the stove and entered right after. He placed a chunk of already cooked meat into the stove to reheat it, then sat at the table with Tom who just watched Marco and Star. Star was wiping down dishes that were still in the sink from last night. "So what is the gimmick?" Tom finally asked. They both looked back at him.

"What do you mean?" Marco asked.

"I mean this whole place! How can you two afford a little home out in the middle of nowhere!"

"We didn't buy it, we built it," Star responded.

"Well, with a little help of magic," Marco added. Star smiled at him.

"Come on, it wasn't that much help."

"Star, you poof all the material here, all cut and ready to go," Marco got up to get some water. Star, with her same smile on her face handed him a cup.

"Yeah, but we decided to do the rest with our own to hands. I still get cramps in my hands at night," Star punched Marco in the arm. She then turned to Tom. "Marco had been reading a lot of 'How to…' books and I simply followed his guidance."

"Did you say with your hands?" Tom seemed to be stuck on this fact.

"No, with our feet. Of course with our hands," Star snapped sarcastically.

"What I meant that you guys really did this yourselves? What about the furniture?"

"We built them," Marco sat back in his chair, cup at hand. "I personally went out and chopped the wood for the table, bed frames, cabinets, and couch. Then I went to the little town that is about an hour from here and traded work to use their local wood shop to cut and smooth the wood," Marco explained.

"How did you get the wood to town?"

"Well that same shop owner had some carriages and warnicorns, so he hauled the wood to the shop for me," Marco admitted proudly. Star sat at the table with the boys, more specifically across from Marco.

"And I learned to sow! I did all the blankets, pillows, cushions, and most of our clothing!" Star threw her arms up in pride. Once again, Tom found himself looking around the home in amazement. These two people were living alone and actually thriving by themselves.

"Well then, what about that? Did Marco make that too?" Tom pointed at the stove.

"We traded work for the that," Star responded.

"Remember when we tried to bring it home?" Marco began to laugh.

"How could I forget! It took us two days to get it here!" Star laughed. "I even slept inside it just to make sure no one would take off with it," Star rubbed her watering eyes. Tom was beginning to get annoyed with the chumminess.

"You really learned how to work?" Tom still seemed to be taken away by Star.

"Uh, yeah. Who else was supposed to take care of us," Star gestured to Marco and herself. Tom was nodding in agreement.

"I see…Marco has turned you into a house wife," Tom concluded with the facts presented to him. Marco, who was drinking form his cup, spat water at Star.

"Marco!" Star jumped up.

"She is not my house wife!" Marco jumped out of his seat as well. He grabbed a towel by the sink and tried to help Star dry off. Star simply ripped the towel from Marco's hand.

"Come on. The Star I know wouldn't have care to learn how to cook or sow!"

"Actually, we both share the duty of cooking," Marco added quickly.

"Not the point! Look at her! She is still doing all of… _this!_ " Tom gestured the entire home. "Then there is your magic. You don't even use it anymore."

"That is for her safety," Marco grew annoyed.

"How!?"

"So I don't get noticed. Apparently my mom can now sense magic being use on Mewni," Star concluded.

"Are you sure about that? You sure Marco isn't just using that as an excuse to tame your wild heart?" Then Tom started accusing again.

"No he is not. We have been running long enough to see that my mother has such an ability. Anytime I use magic, some group of guards come searching the area or knocking down our doors," Star defended Marco.

"Look Tom, Star and I ran away because her mom was going to send her to Saint Olga's School for Way-."

"Aaaaaagggggghhhhhh!" Star threw her arms in the air and screamed. Marco and Tom stared at her. "Sorry," Star lowered her voice and arms in embarrassment. Marco shook his head before he continued.

"Anyways…we ran from that."

"But I only did this because Marco convinced me. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be…me," Star smiled warmly at Marco. "He left everything behind for me."

"Star thought it would be a good idea to stay close to Mewni. The idea is that they would search Mewni last because they know she feared being here," Marco added.

"So the idea is that you guys are hiding in plain sight," Tom nodded.

"Pretty much. We are just simple farmers here, growing food to survive or sell depending on what's best. Everything here was grown by us," Then Star chuckled nervously. Marco chuckled in response. "Well almost everything." Despite looking that he understood, Tom was still stuck in shock. The two were actually doing a phenomenal job at surviving on their own and staying hidden. Tom cleared his throat.

"How long do you plan on doing this? The running away?" Tom looked at them seriously. Star and Marco looked at each other.

"As long as we need to," Star looked back at Tom. "I would appreciate it if you kept this between the three of us." Tom sat up straight and sighed.

"You sure you won't consider leaving with me?" Tom looked into his hands.

"I am not going anywhere. I don't want to be queen…at least… at least not right now." Tom closed his eyes to think to himself. He wanted her back but like Marco had once said, he can't force her to be his girlfriend unless she wants too. He opened his eyes once again.

"All right. I won't say anything. Marco… I hate to admit it but…but you are a good friend."

"Uh… well thanks Tom," Marco answered. Star sighed in relief.

After breakfast, Star and Marco went out to the fields to pick some corn for sale. Together, they filled 4 large buckets. Marco patted his hand s off from the dirt, not noticing that Tom had been standing behind them, watching them closely.

"What are you guys doing?" Tom asked causing Star to throw ears of corn into the air in shock. They turned to him.

"You're still here!" Star shrieked.

"You bet I am. I understand that you want to stay here, but I still don't plan on leaving until you leave with me," Tom was proving to be even more stubborn than he already was.

"Uuuuhhhh," Star moaned in frustration as she let her head and arms fall behind her while Marco simply sighed.

"Well if you are going to stay on Mewni, you better find a place to stay. Preferably far from here," Marco knelt down with Star to help her pick up the corn.

"Fine," Tom replied with no signs of leaving.

"If you are not too busy, mind giving us a hand?" Marco began to grow annoyed with him. Tom furrowed his brows.

"I am not a farmer Marco," Tom retorted.

"Never said you needed to be one. All I want is for you to bring me our pull cart right over there," Marco pointed at the cart that was sitting at the side of the house and pointed over to the corn field. The cart was all wood and big enough to carry 2 buckets side to side, front to back. "We are going to the market today to sell some corn. Star and I could use the extra money."

"Ugh! Fine!" Tom groaned. He pointed his finger at the cart and it floated up surrounded by flames and landed by the corn fields with a swiftness. Marco glared at Tom.

"Ok, let's get one thing straight; no magic. Star and I have been trying to keep a low profile."

"First of all, you aren't the boss of me. Secondly, demon magic isn't the same as Mewman magic. I doubt the queen can sense mine."

"Be that as it may, we are trying to blend in around here. If you go and start throwing things around on fire, without even touching it, it can raise suspicions! You never know when some random travel is wandering by or some hunter watching from the forest!"

"Wow, Marco. You are no fun," Tom responded.

"Hey, Marco has worked hard to keep me safe. I put my trust into what he says," Star backed Marco up. Tom groaned at the sight of Star placing her hand on Marco's shoulder.

"Fine! I won't do it again," Tom crossed his arms in defeat. Marco and Star both sighed. They proceed to load the car with their pickings. Marco stood in front of the handle bar and began to pull the cart. Star was staring at Tom.

"I guess you can stay here for a bit longer. But when we get back you better be gone," Star pointed her finger at Tom who had nodded nonchalantly.

"Come on Star! We should get a move on!" Marco called as he already walked around to the front of the house.

"Marco! Don't leave me here by myself! I need my robe!" Star yelled as she ran through the house. She exited through the front of the house and chased after Marco who had already began to walk away from the house.

* * *

Crossing a bridge over a river lay a small town. It was safe to say that it wasn't the poorest town in Mewni. This was evident by the various colors that painted the town; they were much more vibrant than the poor towns. Green vegetation clung to the buildings, threatening to climb up over the rooftops but were kept at bay evident to the continuous clippings from the villagers. This gave the town a sense of being cleaner. The town itself was surrounded by a wooden fence with its only purpose to divide the town from the outside world. It was fair to say that the village was that of a lower to upper middle class; the reason would be because this town consisted of butcheries, blacksmiths, bakeries, furniture shops, and farm produce; it was an artisan town. The town dealt with trading from neighboring towns, villages, even the kingdom of Mewni which would account for the easier living and improved wealth for these town folk. It consisted of 4 main roads that ran from the center of town to the cardinal directions. These 4 main roads were made of cobblestone while the rest of the roads and back alleys consisted of either tightly packed pebbles and stones or simply packed dirt that was smoothed for the purpose of easy walking. At the center of town, farmers and herbalist from all around the country around this village gathered to sell their produce.

At the east entrance, Marco and Star had entered admiring the little town. It was so lively and vibrant. They did so every time they arrive. The two never seemed to be able to hold in a smile once they entered the town. Star wore her robe with a hood to cover most of her hair, only allowing the bangs come out. She also wore a handkerchief around her mouth, as if she was cleaning, to hide her hearts on her cheeks. Marco turned to her and smiled.

"Don't worry Star. Until we can figure a way to hide you hearts you will have to keep wearing that," Marco apologized. He too wore a robe without his hood. He really didn't have much to hide seeing that nobody on Mewni truly knew who he was.

"Nah. It's fine Marco. It is actually kind of fun playing undercover," Star began to walk as if she was sneaking around. Marco laughed. "Besides, it is kind of nice just to blend in." Star's eyes lit up when she turned her eyes to the bakery. She ran up to the glass to look inside. Window shopping had become one of their pastimes whenever they went to town. "Ooh. Marco! Look! Pastries!" Star began to drool, scaring some of the customers inside.

"You know Star, if we sell this corn we can come back and get some," Marco replied.

"Awe, but mamma want some sugar now," Star whimpered with big puppy eyes.

"Mamma is kind of broke right now," Marco chuckled. Star jumped away from the window to rejoin Marco. "We will come back. I promise," Marco tried to comfort her, but she had already vanished. "Hey, where'd you go?"

"Look Marco! Puppies!" Star yelled from the other side of the road. Marco slapped his hand to his forehead. They had arrived at the certain of town where they were greeted by other farmers who graciously pointed them to an empty booth. All the farmers had setup around a statue of the King and Queen of Mewni which also provided them with protection from any possible thieves who may want to sneak up from behind them.

"How come I am not up there with them?" Star looked up at the stature of her parents. Marco looked up as well.

"Maybe it has to do with the fact that you can't stay still for five seconds," Marco remarked with a smirk. He turned to Star who was already talking to one of the other farmers. "Point made," Marco said to himself. Marco began to unload the cart and placed the buckets on the table one by one. Star came running back to Marco with two large, blue and spiked, fruits in her hands.

"Marco! You gotta try this!" Star shoved the fruit in his face. Some of the juices splashed across his face before he got to bite the fruit. Marco winced in fear before a smile of pleasure spread across his face.

"Wow! That is amazing! What is that?"

"It is a troupple fruit. They usually grow higher in elevation here on Mewni," Star explained as she grabbed a few ears of corn.

"Sounds expensive," Marco looked at her with concern.

"Actually, I already traded two ears of corn for this," Star proudly admitted. People around the area seemed to turn to them at the mentioning of corn.

"Uh, ok… you do remember we are trying to sell this corn right?" Star and Marco both looked back to see that people were approaching their booth.

"Excuse me, but did you say corn?" One of the villagers asked. Marco and Star smiled at each other. They then turned their attention to the people again.

"Yeah," Marco grabbed and ear and opened it. The villager's eyes grew wide with curiosity.

"Why is it white?" A woman asked.

"Is it sick?" another villager asked.

"No. This corn is from another dimension. In that dimension, corn comes in a variety of colors. Now Mewnian corn is really good, but white corn is arguably sweeter," Marco explained.

"Just take it from an actual Mewman," Star pointed at herself. "It's delicious." Star's eyes gave a heavenly look at the very thought of the taste. The villagers remained silent for a moment.

"How much?" Another villager asked.

"We still haven't figured out pricing yet but-," Marco began to say before he got interrupted by clamoring of the villagers.

"I will give you 2 gold pieces for 4 ears!"

"I will give you 4 gold pieces!" Then the villagers began to throw figures. The biddings drew more attention until Marco and Star were swarmed with customers. Marco and Star laughed with joy at each other.

* * *

Marco was loading the empty buckets back into the cart while Star sat on the steps counting the gold pieces they collected, giggling to herself as she dropped them back into the coin bag. Marco wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned to her leaning against the booth.

"So, how did we do?" Marco asked.

"We made 68 gold pieces today," Star's eyes were wide with wonder. Marco went to sit next to her.

"Really? Is that good?"

"Marco! That's fantastic! We can do some serious spending with this right now!" Star threw her hands into the air.

"That's great! But maybe we shouldn't get to carried away just yet," Marco waved his hands at her.

"Awe, why not?"

"Yeah Marco, why not?" Tom was sitting behind Star and Marco, sending shivers up their spins.

"Tom!" They both screamed.

"What?"

"What are you doing here?" Marco asked.

"And why do you keep following us!" Star screamed.

"Just thought I would check out the town, you know. Search for a place, explore. I am not following you. But since I am here, maybe you want to do something fun with me, Star," Tom explained. "What? I am remaining inconspicuous," Tom pointed at a beanie he had on his head and a robe around his shoulders, covering his tattered clothing.

"Do they even make beanies here in Mewni?" Marco looked puzzled. Then he stared at the robe. "Is that my robe!"

"It is not like you are wearing it right now," Tom looked annoyed at Marco. Star stood up in front of Tom.

"We are not doing anything together Tom."

"Come on, you have money to spend and the need to have fun. What more could you ask for?" Tom stood up with Marco.

"It isn't always about having fun. We gotta be able to control our urges as well. Show some restraint," Marco explained.

"Wow Marco. That sounds boring," Star admitted. Marco sighed.

"How about you let Star decide on what to do with her share of the gold," Tom added.

"I had some plans but… fine," Marco gave up. He counted half the gold and gave it to Star. "But I will ask that you think before you…." Marco looked to her to see that Star and Tom had already took off. "…. buy." He sighed again as he walked over to the cart and pulled the cart down the path.

Star and Tom were standing in the bakery where she saw the pastries when they had entered the town.

"Ooh, I think that I am going to eat like 10 of everything!" Star jumped in glee.

"Bet I can eat more than you," Tom egged her on. Star didn't seem to be annoyed that he was there. Instead, she was too energetic to care. She had money and she was ready to spend.

"You're on," Star pointed at Tom.

"So what's up with Marco trying to tell you what to do," Tom scoffed.

"He isn't telling me what to do. He is just trying to be mindful."

"Ok, I get that. But why would he try to tame you? Your sporadic nature and your carelessness makes you who you are. And I think that is awesome," Tom looked out the window. Star turned to look out the window as well.

"He cares about me Tom. He does it for my wellbeing," Star said softly as she continued to stare out the window. She was getting lost in thought. So much so that she didn't notice that she was backing up the line. Tom looked down at her.

"Uh, Star?" Tom looked at her. Star began to walk out the door. "Star?" Tom followed her out. "What's wrong?"

"It's…. nothing," Star stood outside. She looked across the street and saw Marco standing outside the blacksmiths shop. He was looking through the window. Star approached quietly with Tom following behind her. Marco was looking at a sword that was on a stand in the front window.

"It's…. a katana," Marco whispered to himself. The katana was made of a shiny black metal; the grip was trimmed with gold that formed a dragon head at the pommel. The eyes looked like rubies. The handle looked as though it was incased in jade. Same went for the case of the sheath of the blade. It too was made of jade, trimmed with gold and the same type of dragon head at the end of the sheath. _It's beautiful_ , Marco thought to himself.

"Whatcha looking at?" Star asked silently. Marco jumped in surprise to see Star and Tom watching him.

"Star! Tom! Nothing!" Marco scratched the back of his head. He turned to Star with sincerity. "Hey Star… I am sorry. Tom is right. You should be able to spend your half of the gold on whatever you want."

"Really?" Tom and Star were both puzzled. More so because he said Tom was right.

"Yeah. I really don't want to influence you spending and wants with my decisions. You deserve to do what you want."

"Marco…" Star felt a sting in her eyes.

"Hey, we always have tomorrow. The sell was so successful that I think we should try and bring more corn. I have some ideas I want to spend my gold on, but I think I may join you on a little shopping spree," Marco laughed.

"Well you heard him. Go wild Star," Tom jumped in with a bit of enthusiasm.

"Yeah. Go have some fun. We can meet up over by the exit in an hour. I think I will explore the village a bit longer, see what else they got to offer," Marco smiled as he began to walk off on his own.

"Okay…" Star found it hard to speak. The only thing she could feel was guilt. Tom looked down at her.

"You seem distracted," Tom said.

"He always does this," Star said faintly.

"Excuse me? Are you feeling guilt tripped?"

"NO! He has always tried to do what's best for me."

"That's a good thing, isn't it?"

"I don't know anymore," Star looked up to Tom.

"Star, he just gave you the go ahead to do what you want. You have never thought twice about it before," Tom told her.

"I know…." Star said as she began to walk away from Tom. He felt sympathetic for her. Tom sighed as he followed her.

"Well, why don't you do something for him," Tom swallowed hard in disgust at the idea. Star paused and turned to Tom.

"Did you really just say that?" Star looked on with curiosity.

"Yup," Tom dropped his arms. "If he is so great to you, and he has done so much for you, why don't you do something for him… you know, show him some appreciation. Wow, I have a taste of straight bile in my mouth." Tom looked away with shock. Star had a big smile run across her face.

"That is actually a great idea. And you know what two days from now is?" Star jumped next to Tom.

"Hanukah?" Tom said sarcastically as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Thanks Tom!" Star hugged him tightly. She released him and ran into the blacksmiths shop, leaving Tom with a small smile on his face.

Inside the shop, Star ran up to the blacksmith who stood behind the counter. The muscular gentlemen with a thick black beard and balding head smiled as she approached.

"Well hello little lady. How may I help you today?"

"How much is that sword at the window?" Star pointed at the katana. The blacksmith chuckled hardily.

"That one. That sword is special. The material wasn't easy to come by."

"Really? So is it not for sell?"

"I never said it wasn't."

"So how much?"

"If I have to give it a price…. uh, 150 gold pieces," The blacksmith shrugged. Star's jaw dropped in shock.

"150! I only have 34 gold pieces!" Star looked into her bag. "Is there any way I can get it cheaper? Please, my best friend has his sight on that sword. And he has always done so much for me that I just have to pay him back," Star looked up with big watery eyes.

"Well I don't know. Like I say, it is rare. And if he is your best friend I would think you don't have to pay him back," The blacksmith looked down at her.

"I know…" Star looked down defeated with sadden eyes. The blacksmith swallowed hard. Then he smiled as an idea popped up in his head.

"You know what? There was some commotion in town earlier today. Something about white corn?"

"Huh!?" Star looked up. She jumped hopefully. "WE sold that corn today!"

"Fancy that. Tell you what, if you can bring me 2 buckets of the corn you sold today then I will be willing to drop the price to 50 gold pieces."

"Really! Thank you so much! Hugs!" Star jumped up and hugged the blacksmith who just gave another hardy laugh.

"I thank you. My daughter and I had really wanted to try it but it was gone before we could get to the center of town."

"We were sold out before we could blink. But we also didn't bring much because we were afraid no one would want it."

"I see," The blacksmith smiled at Star. "You know; you remind me of my daughter. No offense but she was much like you when she finally met the one. She was so happy, and he is a good kid too."

"But I am not-," Star began to say.

"I know. Best friends. But this friend must be pretty special to you, huh?"

"More than I knew," Star smiled with a blush threatening to paint her face. She was going to give him her gold until he held his hand up.

"We will complete our business tomorrow," The blacksmith walked around the counter and pulled the sword from the shelf. "And I will put this away for you when you return."

"Thank you so much," Star thanked again.

"You're welcome. See you tomorrow," the blacksmith waved to Star as she walked out of the store. The blacksmith chuckled. "She has got it bad."

"So…where is it?" Tom asked. He had been watching from the window outside.

"I gotta get it tomorrow. He helped make the payment easier for me. Speaking of tomorrow, I have something for you to do," Star smiled as they made their way to the entrance of the town where Marco stood waiting for them.

"Did you go and get you pastries?" Marco asked her.

"No. We were supposed to go get them together but you left me," Star said as Marco winced in regret.

"Sorry," Marco apologized. "I forgot."

"It's ok. I took what you said into consideration. I have plans of my own," Star proudly said as she walked away from him. Marco watched, a bit confused of what happened. He didn't ask, he just waved it off as nothing and followed her with Tom walking beside him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Greetings all. So this chapter is shorter. I didn't have too much to say in this chapter but I hope that it doesn't disappoint. Comments and reviews are always appreciated. So without further adieu here is chapter 5.**

* * *

Chapter 5: What's Going On?

The evening fell upon Mewni and along with it the air grew crisp, the insects began to play their music, and the frogs began to chirp to the beat. To add to the beauty of it all, the scenery started to take dark shades once the sun descended to the horizon. The scenery made the walk home completely bearable and actually enjoyable. Marco took a deep breath in, puffing his chest, and exhaled heavenly. He very much enjoyed the scent of damp dirt or the smell of wet, bluing grass. It was peaceful.

"Maybe we should call you Nature Diaz," Star jumped up next to Marco. At this point, Star had a certain glow to her for she was excited for what was to come in the next couple of days. Marco turned to her with a smile.

"Why?"

"Because you love it so much. Almost as much as karate," Star was skipping backwards to face Marco as they talked.

"What's so great about being outdoors?" Tom decided to brood. Tom had been hanging with the two all day. If it wasn't for the fact that Star needed him for Marco's surprise, she would have sent him away already. Despite how much Marco and Tom didn't like each other, Marco still turned to chuckle at Tom.

"Come on Tom. You can't say that this scenery isn't breath taking. I mean look at all the colors; they change in ways you didn't think they could. Or how about the smells. These are smells that you can only experience once a day," Marco felt poetic.

"Don't smell all that different to me," Tom gave a sour look at a flock of pig sheep. A few of them chose this moment to lift their tails and defecate on the grass.

"Oh…" Star's smile fell. "Well I guess it can't always be good," Star shrugged as she looked up at Marco. Marco laughed in response, then looked to Tom.

"So, what are your plans tonight?" Marco asked him.

"My plans haven't changed. I still want to take Star home with me, but she won't do it," Tom turned to Star who was rolling her eyes.

"I will go with you when the kingdom of Mewni is devoured by a giant monster," Star responded.

"You can stay with us if you are willing to help out tomorrow. I would like to sell more corn and we could use the help to haul a bit more of it," Marco offered. S

"You would let me stay?" Tom was shocked.

"Only if you give a hand," Marco responded. "We were pretty successful today and I have a few projects that I want to work on. We can use more gold for said projects. And I am willing to take all the help I can get." Tom looked at Star who was just as shocked.

"I don't know about giving you a hand, you have already token one off before," Tom glared at Marco who nervously laughed. "…but, alright Marco. I will take you up on that offer," Tom answered. Star looked up at Marco.

"Are you really okay with him staying?" Star asked.

"Why wouldn't I be. I could use an extra set of hands for my next project. Besides, if he gets mad, I will go out into the woods and catch him bunny to pet his anger away," Marco gave Tom a sly look. Tom got annoyed and spat a fireball to his side. Star and Marco laughed.

"Well alright. I do need him for tomorrow after all," Star added. Marco's smile faded.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Home!" Star dodged the question as she ran towards their home. Marco and Tom chased after her.

"Wait Star! You didn't answer my question!"

Marco lay a pillow on the couch while Star fetched an extra set of sheets, turning their couch into a bed for Tom.

"What is this?" Tom looked puzzled.

"This is where you are going to sleep tonight," Marco responded.

"I thought I was going to sleep in the same bed with Star," Tom gave her a sly look.

"In your dreams, serpent," Star glared at him. Marco sighed in response.

"Ok Tom. I know I asked for your help in exchanged for shelter but please keep comments like that to yourself.," Marco walked by Tom who turned to him in response.

"It was just a question. Or are you two already doing that?"

"Doing what?"

"Sleeping in the same bed together." Marco tripped to Tom's accusation while Star squeaked loudly with a blush ruling her face.

"What did I just say about comments like that!" Marco stood straight up with the same shade of red across his face as Star's.

"Fine, this is good," Tom chuckled to himself. "And um…thanks…. for letting me stay." For a change, Tom was sincere. Marco who was shocked patted him on the shoulder.

"No problem," Marco replied.

"No, no, this can still be a problem," Star added.

"Well, we should get some rest. Big day tomorrow," Marco said as he walked towards his room. Star turned to Tom.

"Goodnight," Star said with a not so welcoming tone before she ran off to her room. Tom just smiled as he lay down in the couch and stared at the fire burning in the fireplace.

* * *

Sometime after midnight, silence reined upon the small cobblestone cottage, the fire place still glowing from the coals, even the demon who lay on the couch slept peaceful without so much as a snore. Then, a creak became audible. Star poked her head out of her room and stared at the door that led to Marco's room. She stood silently to make sure that Marco did not become alarmed with the sound of her creaking door. She then slipped out of her room and tiptoed to the living room. She poked her head over the back of the couch to look at the sleeping demon.

"Tom," Star whispered. "Tom," Star whispered a bit more loudly. "Tom!" A silent scream that still did not phase the demon. She then proceeded to poke his head. When that failed she poked harder. Still nothing. Star gave a frustrated sigh and walked over to the barrel of water. Filling a cup full of water, Star walked over to Tom and, with a devious smile, she poured the contents onto the demon's face. Tom jumped up from the shock and before he could scream Star jumped on him like a monkey and held his mouth shut. They fell backwards with Tom on his back and Star sitting on his abdomen. "Shush!" Star held a finger to her mouth. She removed her hand from his mouth.

"Star! What are you doing!?" Tom silently screamed, but smiled. "On second thought, this is cool," Tom rested his head on his hands. Star slapped him at that response.

"Wrong idea buster," Star whispered angrily. Their eyes widened when they heard loud footsteps approaching them. Then Marco went flying over the couch and landed in a battle stance in front of them.

"What's going… on …," Marco stood straight with eyes wide in shock staring at the two on the floor. "Oh…I'm…sorry to…to disturb you," Marco's eyes filled with regret and sorrow.

"Marco! Wait!" Star jumped off of Tom. Marco had already walked up to his door when Star grabbed his hand. "Marco, I can explain," Marco turned to her with a sad smile.

"No. It's okay," Marco took his hand back and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Really…it's okay. You are allowed to have whatever you want. I just wanted to make sure you are safe." Marco looked away. Star wanted to yell back and tell him it was all a misunderstanding, but all she could do was feel the sting in her eyes and the pain from biting her lip. "Uh… get some rest… we got work to do in the morning," Marco walked into his room without looking back at Star.

"Marco…" Star said softly but Marco had shut the door behind him. Star felt a few tears running down her cheeks. Star walked back to the living room and sat on the couch. Tom was sitting next to her with his arm hanging over the arm rest leisurely with a smile on his face.

"That went well," He said smugly.

"Not now Tom," Her voice was muffled from her hands that she clasped around her face.

"I don't see why he was upset. We didn't get to do anything," Tom joked. Instead of laughter, he was greeted with hands grasped onto the collar of his shirt. Star glared into his eyes angrily.

"I said not now," her voice was shaky.

"Whoa now Star. I was only joking," Tom defended himself, even though he really enjoyed the moment. "Why did you wake me?" Star let go of his collar and sighed sorrowfully.

"I…I wanted to talk about Marco's surprise. His birthday is coming up on Saturday and I was going to ask you for help on getting things ready," Star looked down into the glowing coals. Tom actually felt terrible to see Star like this.

"Ok… so what's the plan?" Tom asked.

"He looked hurt," was all Star said.

"Yeah he did. Don't get mad at me, but it is not like he is your boyfriend. I don't see why he had to react like that."

"Why do you keep saying things like that?" Star's voice began to tremble with anger.

"It's the truth. Why? Do you like him?"

"What?" Star turned to him quickly.

"Just a question," Tom held his hands up in defense.

"Tom, he's my best friend," Star looked away. Tom just sighed.

"Ok then. So tell me the plan."

"What plan?"

"Marco's surprise. If he _is_ your best friend, then you two should be able to patch things up with a good surprise. I know you guys are trying to fly under the radar but I don't see why we can't have some fun."

"So you will help me?" Star's eyes began to fill with hope with a chance to make amends.

"I got to. I would do anything for you."

"Not funny Tom," Star frowned.

"Wasn't supposed to be," Tom said under his breathe.

"What?"

"Nothing!"

"So anyways…." Tom leaned closer as star whispered the plans into his ear.

* * *

Marco lay in his bed thinking of what he had just seen. He was holding his stomach as the image of Star sitting on Tom churned his inside, fluttering with pain. _**What's going on with me? Why does this hurt so much? Star is free to do what she wants. So why this bother me so much?**_ Marco's thoughts plagued him. The sound of Star walking to her room made Marco remain silent. He listened as she entered her bedroom. The thought of what may have happened caused a pain within him. He looked over the side of his bed to see his duffle bag laying by the head of his bed. He rummaged a bit and pulled out a picture. He lay back so he could stare at it. Then the pain in his chest grew again as he looked over a pictured of a tan girl with ivory hair and green streaks. _**Maybe it is because I miss my old crush? Maybe I needed Jackie more than I thought? At least now since**_ _…_ He would tell this to himself repeatedly until he finally dozes off, leaving himself more confused than he already was.

* * *

Some of the wildlife came alive the following morning with chirps of excitement from baby birds getting fed breakfast by their mothers, frogs singing their song by whatever water source they were by, which the sun gently touched causing the water to glow, even larger animals could be heard in the forest, making their presence known and warning anything that came across their path that it was breakfast time. In the small cottage, Star was already up and moving about. Apparently Marco chose this day to refrain from getting up early to begin his karate practice. Star took this opportunity to cook some more eggs she found in the forest and some sausage they had gotten a few days prior from the butcher. Good thing for her, this sausage was dry hung and would last almost a week outside. Tom was just lying on the couch listen to Star going to work in the kitchen.

"You know, when you said you learned to cook, I pictured you would burn everything down to the ground," Tom joked as he made shapes with his fingers in the air.

"Shut up Tom. Unlike you, I am not a defenseless little mutant baby. I can take care of myself," Star responded.

"Defenseless mutant baby? That's a new one," Tom had become use to being called names. It almost doesn't faze him anymore. They heard a creak.

"He's awake!" Star jumped. "Keep your comments to yourself and leave him alone." Star warned Tom. Tom made mocking notions with his hands and making faces, that was until Star threw a wet towel at him. Marco walked into the living room rubbing his eyes to free them of the crusts. "Good morning Marco!" Star jumped happily. Marco looked up and failed at a faint smile. Tom looked over the couch to see a shocked, silent Star. "Uh… you want to eat? Got up extra early to find those eggs you liked." Star placed a plate on the table.

"Thanks, but I am not hungry right now. I am just gonna walk over to the waterfall and wash up. We got work to do today," then Marco got a few things and walked out of their home. Star sat down at the table, breathe taken away by the sadness growing within her. Tom got up and sat across from her, actually concerned.

"Star?" Tom called softly. She looked up quickly and rubber her eyes to prevent the flow of tears from falling.

"It's fine… he's just not hungry." Star told him. Then she slowly ate from Marco's plate. Tom just watched with sympathetic eyes.

After a while, Marco had gotten back to find that Tom had gotten the cart ready while Star began to pick corn. He walked up to them.

"You guys stared without me?" Marco asked. Star looked back and greeted Marco with a bright smile.

"Hey! Yeah. We figured it would be nice to have as much as possible ready for when you came back," Star explained. Marco tried to hake the pity off of himself but found it too hard. The best he could do right now was offer an empty smile.

"That's great Star. Let me finish getting ready so we can go into town early," Marco said as he entered the home. Star watched as he did. Once he was inside Star began to hyperventilate. The pain she felt was overwhelming her. Tom ran up to her.

"Okay Star. You gotta stop acting like this. So he got upset over a little misunderstanding. He just need to stop being a baby about everything."

"Tom, he is my best friend. He has never acted like this with me. Not even when I was acting goofy over Oskar Greeson," Star placer her hand on her chest to try and control her breathing.

"Then maybe I should talk to him," Tom offered.

"What?"

"Maybe I can clear things up."

"No! You can't! He won't believe you. Especially not like this… that is why his surprise has got to work… it has too," Star felt her body shake as she began to load the cart again. "Tom!" Star called him. He walked over to her. "When we get to town, I want you to take these 2 buckets of corn to the blacksmith. Tell him I will be back with his gold later on today," Star pointed out the corn. Tom just nodded. Marco came back out holding her robe. He walked up to her and handed her the robe.

"We better get going," Marco said as she threw the robe around her shoulders. He then proceeded to the cart and began to pull it by himself. Tom and Star both watched. K

"Wow. The farm life has really bulked him up huh?" Tom commented. Star just sighed as she ran to catch up with him.

* * *

The trio were entering the town with Star, now helping a reluctant Marco, pulling the car and Tom following behind. They remained relatively quiet the entire trip with Star trying to start up a conversation every now and then. Obviously, Marco wasn't in a talking mood, not even to try and stop one of Tom's many pickup lines on Star. Star had decided to just let things go. _**Everything will go back to normal tomorrow. Marco will be so happy that he will have to forget about that little incident.**_ Star thought to herself. She cleared her thoughts as they were approaching the blacksmith to their left. Star looked back at Tom who had his hands behind his head, leisurely following. He felt her gave upon him so he looked to her. Star's eyes shifted to the blacksmith. Tom watched on for a second in confusion until he turned to the blacksmith. He lifted his finger in the air to indicate he understood. He quietly snuck the two buckets out of the cart and broke away from them. Star sighed in relief.

"What?" Marco responded to her sigh.

"Nothing!" Star jumped. "I saw the cutest little squirrel being chased by cats until he got away," Star laughed nervously. Marco chuckled at her, making Star smile warmly. Once they arrived at the center of town, they began to unload their produce. Marco stood straight for a moment to think. Star stood next to him.

"What is it?"

"It's nothing. I could have sworn we brought more corn than this," Marco gazed over the cart.

"Nah! Maybe you are just seeing things. You have been real tired lately," Star tried to cover.

"Maybe you're right," Marco waved it off as he continued to unload the cart. Much like yesterday, once the crowd heard corn, Marco and Star's booth became swarmed with customers and bidders. Tom had walked up behind the two and sat down on the steps of the statue. He snickered as he watched the two sell corn and collect gold frantically. And much like yesterday, business was done way to early. 30 minutes was all it took to sell eight large buckets full of corn. Marco stood at the booth counting the coins while Star sat down next to Tom.

"I have to admit it, you guys are doing good at selling your produce," Tom complemented.

"Thanks Tom. Who knew you actually know how to be nice," Star retorted jokingly. Tom sneered at her. "Were you able to make the delivery ok?" Star whispered.

"Yeah. He says he will have it ready when you get there," Tom whispered back.

"What's going on?" Marco stood watching the two whispering to each other. Star began to sweat a bit.

"Nothing! Just talking about the hard days of work we just put in," Star threw both her arms to her sides, knocking Tom over in the process.

"Yup. Watching you two work made _me_ break a sweat," Tom added as he sat back up. Marco smiled faintly.

"Yeah, I guess we did. Anything is possible with a little perseverance," Marco said as he handed Star a bag. Star took the bag and looked inside to find gold.

"Marco how much is this?"

"116 coins," Marco smiled as he leaned against the booth once again. Tom looked into the bag as well.

"50/50?" Tom had to ask.

"50/50," Marco replied. Marco watched Tom and Star look at each other. The very sight made his stomach turn. "Do… you two want to be alone?"

"What?!" Star jumped. "Why would you ask something like that!" Marco shrugged his shoulders.

"I am not going to lie to you Marco, but that would be ideal," Tom joked. Star elbowed him in the side. "Kidding!"

"I really don't want to be anywhere with him, let alone be left with alone with him," Star pointed angrily at him.

"Hey, that hurts you know," Tom retorted.

"I just figured since I became a third wheel last night, maybe you two would prefer to wander off together. I can always find something else to do," Marco almost seemed too cool about everything. Star got up to her feet to meet Marco's gaze.

"Nothing happen last night! It was just a misunderstanding," Star defended herself.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to hit a nerve," Marco backed off. Star was getting annoyed.

"Marco, you know how I feel about him. I really don't want anything from him."

"Yeah! That hurts too!" Tom yelled from behind her. Marco remained expressionless.

"Star, you really don't have to explain yourself. Maybe I am jumping the gun. But…." Marco was at a loss. Star glared at him angrily but then realized she had an opportunity to get away from them.

"Sounds like you are just jealous," Star's voice shook.

"What?"

"Well you know what, Marco Diaz, if you are so jealous then you can have him!" Star pushed Marco back as she ran off. Marco caught himself on the booth and watched in shock as Star ran away from them _ **. Sorry Marco…this will all be worth it**_. Star thought to herself as she ran.

"Hey wait!" Marco yelled. He couldn't get himself to chase after her. Tom clicked his tongue in disapproval. "What?" Marco glared at him.

"That was _real_ smooth," Tom stood up and patted himself off. He walked up to Marco. "You are so fixed on your own little delusion that you let it blind you to reason."

"You're one to talk," Marco turned his back to him to get the cart.

"At least I am not the one pushing her away with your misconceptions."

"Misconceptions!? I know what I saw Tom!" Marco threw the cart down and turned to stare Tom in the face.

"You saw what you wanted you see. Unfortunately for me, Star wasn't trying to make any advances on me," Tom raised his hand in defense, nonchalantly.

"Then what was she doing on top of you?" Marco was already starting to cool off.

"She was merely trying wake me up to tell me I needed to find my own place and she didn't want me to live on your couch," Tom lied through his teeth. Thankfully that it was so close to the truth that it sounded believable. Star had truly wanted Tom to leave but he had been so stubborn to take Star with him that he was living around their home for the past couple of days. Besides, it was Marco who invited him to stay, not Star so it sounded completely believable. "Dude, she threw water in my face to wake me up. When I jumped up to scream, she tackled me to the ground to try and avoid waking you up."

"Really….."

"Would I lie to you?" Tom said. Marco sneered at him while Tom cleared his throat. "Forget I asked that."

"Star…," Marco groaned in frustration. Not at her but at himself. He had jumped to conclusions before he could get the truth. Despite knowing how she felt about Tom, the very sight was enough to make him doubt everything. He truly was an idiot.

"You know for someone who isn't her boyfriend you get to jealous of who she hangs around with," Tom had to throw that in. Marco slapped his forehead.

* * *

Star had walked into the blacksmith's shop after running from the boys. She felt terrible for ditching Marco like that but she was planning to make it up to him.

"Hello!" Star called. The blacksmith poked his head out from a doorway that led to the back of the shop. He had bits of corn in his beard.

"There you are!" he laughed. "Give me a moment to finish my lunch and I will be right out," he tucked his head back in the doorway. Star smiled as she walked around the shop. The blacksmith came out with a towel, wiping his hands and face clean.

"Good golly little lady. When you said that white corn was sweeter than Mewnian corn I wasn't a believer. But man, that stuff was good," The blacksmith laughed.

"So you like it?" Star asked.

"Little lady, I loved it. When my daughter and her fiancé come over later we are going to have a feast!"

"Sounds wonderful," Star grabbed her coin bag and started to count through the coins. She stacked 5 rows of 10 coins on the counter. The blacksmith smiled as he walked to the back of store only to return with the sword at hand. He handed the sword to Star who wrapped her arms around it. The blacksmith chuckled.

"You really care about your friend, don't you?"

"I do. He has done so much for me that I have to get him the best gift I can find," Star said softly.

"Well if you ask me, there is no better gift than friendship," The blacksmith patted Star's head. "I am sure you mean the world to him too." Star smiled at the blacksmith. "Just to let you know, that sword is special. If I would have thought you were going to use it for no good, I wouldn't have sold it to you," The blacksmith seemed a bit worried.

"What do you mean?" Star was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. In response, she ducked over the counter to hide.

"Hello?" A voice called. Star felt shivers at the realization of who it was. Marco walked up to the blacksmith who was still taken back by Star's reaction.

"How may I help you?"

"Yeah… there was a sword at the window yesterday and I was curious if you still have it?" The blacksmith chuckled.

"Oh, I am sorry young man, but I had sold that one last night," The blacksmith now realizing why Star had hid.

"Really… I guess that is another thing I lose out on…" Marco slumped his shoulders.

"What do you mean?"

"I got into a little argument with a friend earlier and she ran off on her own. I misread a situation that she had gotten involved in and I refused to listen to her explanation."

"Jealousy is an ugly thing," The blacksmith winked as he got the gist of the problem.

"I wasn't jealous!" Marco turned red.

"Mm-hm," the blacksmith replied. Marco just sighed. "Young man, friendship is a strong bond. They are hard to break. I am sure you and your friend are going to be just fine."

"Do you think so?"

"I have a strong feeling in my gut," the blacksmith laughed hardily. Marco smiled as he walked out the door.

"Thank you… I needed to hear that," Marco thanked as he left.

"Is he gone?" Star called from under the counter.

"Yes ma'am." Star got up and walked around the counter. " _Now_ I can see that you mean the world to you friend as well."

"I know. I am a lucky girl," Star looked out the window as she watched Tom and Marco walking off. "Thank you again for everything. I will never forget this."

"The pleasure is all mine. Oh! Before you go, take this book with you," The blacksmith handed her a small book. "It has everything you need to know about the sword."

"Ok! Bye!" Star ran out the shop.

"Cute couple," was all he said to himself as he returned to the back of the shop to enjoy some more corn. Star ran across the street. She had one more stop to make before she went home.

* * *

Marco stood by the entrance of the town waiting for Star. Somewhere along the way, he had lost Tom and stood alone. He seemed to have a fair conversation with him until he just vanished. _**Maybe he didn't find our conversation that interesting.**_ Marco thought to himself. He was staring into the sky feeling like an idiot. He had never wanted to be the one to jump to conclusions but for some reason he found that hard when it came to Star.

Star was standing a few feet away from Marco. She couldn't help but smile at the fact that he waited for her. She quickly brushed the smile off; she didn't want Marco to see that she was happy to see him. She cleared her throat and approached him quietly.

"You're still here," Star asked blandly even though she was screaming in joy on the inside. Marco's train of thought broke when he heard her voice.

"Star!" Marco turned to her. "Hey… I was waiting for you."

"You didn't have to. I would have walked by myself," Star began to walk ahead of Marco.

"Uh… have you seen Tom? I lost him a little while ago," Marco tried to ask cautiously. He didn't want set her off again.

"He went back to our home already. Something about not waiting on us anymore," Star answered.

"Star," Marco reached forward and grabbed her by her wrist. Star turned to him quickly. "Star, I have to apologize."

"For what," the innocent returned to her voice.

"You know… for making wild accusations. I know that Tom still wants you and that you guys use to date. But to see you with him…I … I felt like I was going to be left alone," Marco shamefully admitted. "I didn't want to lose you to him." Star hugged him tightly.

"Apology accepted," Star whispered. Marco embraced her as a great warmth build up inside him. They walked home together silently but peacefully and blissfully.

* * *

Tom was sitting in the living room going through the book that came with the sword. He had already hidden the sword in Star's bedroom and felt that he needed to see what was so special about this sword. He began to read the first few pages, almost bored to death when something caught his attention. He went through the pages a bit faster and found battle forms and techniques for the sword. His eyes widened with amazement. He closed the book and sat back in amazement. Star was truly going to give Marco and extravagant gift. He heard commotion outside and jumped to the nearest window. He saw Marco and Star were finally home. Tom tucked the book into his pocket; it was too late to run and hide it in Star's bedroom. Marco and Star both entered the house to find Tom sitting on the couch fiddling his thumbs.

"What did you do?" Marco asked sarcastically.

"Why do you guys always assume I am up to no good?" Tom barked.

"Because you are usually up to no good," Marco replied.

"Ok, ok. We get it. You guys are in love," Star walked by them.

"Star!" Tom and Marco screamed as Star laughed at them. It seemed that things were back to normal for the time being.

* * *

Marco was lying in his bed the next morning, deciding that he would sleep in again. His sleep was so enjoyable that he did not notice that it was midday. Wondering where he was, Star cracked open his door to find his sleeping figure there. She smiled as she turned to the person, rather a demon, behind her.

"Did the cake arrive yet?" Star asked Tom.

"Yeah it did. I left it on the table," Tom replied. "You sure you don't want to split it with me? He doesn't have to know about it."

"Stop it Tom," Star waved him off. "Let's go wake him up." Star and Tom crept into Marco's room. Star got filled with excitement and jumped on Marco. "Happy Birthday Day!" Star grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him.

"Agh!" Marco screamed.

"All I want to say, say, say is Happy Birthday on your Birthday Day!" Star song while Tom blew on a kazoo. He didn't look nearly as excited as Star, or excited at all. Marco looked up at Star who wrapped her arms around him.

"You… remembered my birthday?" Marco was shocked. Star released him to look upon him. She was still sitting on him.

"Of course I remembered!" Star had a big smile on her face. Tom finally had to but in.

"Unless this is part of his present, I think you should get off him already," Tom was annoyed. Marco and Star both turned red. Star jumped off him and cleared her throat.

"Um… yeah. I never forgot. I had been planning this the last few days. And Tom helped me get things ready," Star explained. Marco slapped his face into his hands. "Something wrong?"

"No. I get now why you have been hanging with Tom these last few days. I am such an idiot," Marco sat there feeling stupid. Star laughed.

"It's ok. I already forgave you. Water under the bridge. Now get up! I am going to make you breakfast…. Lunch!" Star, shifting her eyes side to side, remembered it was midday. "Then, I got something for you," Star said sing-songy as she ran out of Marco's bedroom. Tom walked out backwards.

"Happy Birthday… I guess," Tom tried to be sincere.

"Thanks… Tom," Marco was shocked as Tom left. Marco sat in his bed for a moment. He bit his lip in joy as the negative thoughts began to shake loose from his mind. Marco got up from his bed and went to the living room. He was taken back by the site of a bouquet of red and blue flowers on the table. Their candle chandelier had a Happy Birthday banner hanging on it. There was a fairly large cake on the table that was decorated with blue and red flowers, made of frosting, and blue lettering saying 'Happy Birthday Marco.' Spread about the living room were an assortment of blue and red flags that hung from the ceiling by nails. Marco stared at everything with his mouth agape. Star approached him with a soft smile.

"Do you like it?" Star looked up at him with her head tilted down.

"It's…wow," Marco was at a loss of words. She jumped up and hugged him.

"Yay!" Marco embraced her.

"Again? With the chumminess?" Tom interrupted. Star let him go and pulled a chair out for Marco.

"Come sit! Have breakfast. Then we will eat cake and I will give you your gift!" Star was excited.

"Thank you Star," Marco sat in the chair while Star served him. Even Tom joined them for breakfast.

* * *

"…. Happy Birthday to you!" Star and Tom sang with Tom being mono toned. Marco blew out the candles and Star cheered while Tom gave a simple 'woot…' Star cut the cake and they sat down to eat.

"Wow. This is great," Marco excitedly ate.

"Right. It's from that bakery towards the entrance of the town," Star said.

"The one you wanted pastries from?"

"That's the one. I took what you said into consideration and saved my money to do this for you."

"Star…" Marco looked down with sadden eyes.

"Marco. You do this sort of thing for me all the time."

"But you deserve to treat yourself, not think about me."

"Don't think I didn't. Your happiness is treat enough for me," Star placed her hand on his fore arm. Marco had a warm smile with watery eyes on his face. After the cake was done, Star ran to her room. Tom sat at the table with Marco.

"So uh… I didn't get you anything," Tom had to say.

"It's cool Tom. Believe it or not, you just being here and sharing this day with us is gift enough," Marco said sincerely.

"Even me?" Tom was shocked.

"Yeah," Marco replied. Tom chuckled. This was a new feeling to him. It was no secret that Tom had anger problems and that he didn't care for Marco, but for the moment Tom felt as though he could be friends with Marco. Star came running from her room.

"Close your eyes Marco!" Star screamed. Marco closed his eyes. Star swung her gift around in front of Marco, holding it from behind him. "Ok! You can open them." Marco looked at his gift. It had sent shivers up his spin with disbelief. What sat before him was the thing he had fallen in love with. Star held the jade handled, black bladed katana.

"Star…" the excitement build up in Marco as he stood quickly and he carefully took the sword in silence. "How did you get this?" He turned to her.

"With gold and corn. Turns out that the blacksmith was a really cool guy."

"I love it! Thank you Star!" With a swift move, Marco picked up Star and spun her around. She laughed with joy. Marco put her down so he could unsheathe his blade. "Oh wow!" Marco had tears of joy running down his face.

"Wait a minute Marco. Star give him the book," Tom jumped out of his seat. "Read the book before you mess with it. That sword has special abilities." Star looked to Tom in shock but agreed. Once again, she ran to her room. Upon returning, she handed Marco a small black book. Marco took it, after he placed his blade back into the scabbard.

"Blade of Nixillis?" Marco read the name on the first page. Marco looked up at Tom.

"Nixillis was a Pit Dragon from the Underworld. I don't know how, but that blacksmith was able to get a scale from that dragon and was able to forge a sword out of it. Probably because its scales are a form of organic metal," Tom explained. Marco turned to the book and started to read again.

"Nixillis was magic retardant, but contain magical abilities within himself," Marco lifted the blade to himself. Star took the book from Marco and read herself.

"It says that blade's wind resistance is equivalent to a beat of his wing and the blade is as sharp as his scales… it can cut through just about anything," Star looked at Marco. Marco smiled as he stood.

"Should I test it out?" Marco suggested.

"Yeah!" Star and Marco ran outside with Tom waking behind them leisurely. Marco stood out in the fields by himself. Tom and Star had decided to give him space. Marco kept his eyes closed, inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. As quick as he opened his eyes he drew his sword. He widened his stance and held his sword in a battle formation. Then he took off. He parried with the air and with a powerful swing of the blade a massive gust sliced nearby grass and blew back distant ones. Star and Tom's eyes widened with amazement. He then butterflies the sword in front of his body and with the increase speed came the powerful wind resistance again. Marco began to laugh with his excitement. Marco kicked his legs into the air, sending his own body flying. Marco spun around as he got close enough to a tree and swung his sword at it. With that slice no noise was heard, but the tree began to slide slowly off the trunk. The tree fell with a powerful thud leaving two perfectly clean cuts between the tree and the trunk. He ended by backflipping away and upon landing he stuck the blade into the ground. As if the Dragon was landing, the ground around Marco caved, creating a crater from the force of the strike. Marco was panting heavily as Tom and Star stood, mouths agape. Marco put a smile on his face and a laugh had escaped his lips.

"This sword is amazing!" Marco sheathed his sword and jumped in excitement.

"Marco… that was amazing," Star was too shocked to be excited. Even Tom had nothing to say. Marco ran up to Star and hugged her again.

"Thank you Star… this is the best gift I have ever gotten."

"Your welcome!" The excitement filled her again as she hugged him tightly. "Now that book has other forms in it. I can't wait to see what you are going to be able to do with this," Star lifted the sword up.

"Yeah. All the same, you should be really careful with that. It is not every day a non-magical being gets something this extravagant," Tom added.

"I will. You guys are amazing. Now, who wants more cake!?"

"Yeah!" Star, even Tom, threw their arms up in excitement. The three began to walk back to the home filled with excitement and curiosity of what is to come with Marco and his new sword. Only time could tell.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello! Long time no post right? Sorry, i have been super busy with life that i have not been able to post another chapter. Also, i wanted to comment that i originally planned to make this fanfic only a few chapters long but i got too involved with this story. So instead of 6 or 8 chapters l have planned to do will actually be closer to 15-18 chapters long. I love SVTFOE and i feel that any fanfic we as the viewers create exemplifies that. Thank you Daron Nefcy for such a great cartoon. Also, my story is more of an AU now seeing how Bon Bon the Birthday Clown turned out to be. No matter. I still love the show to death and i have ideas for my fic. SVTFOE has given me something I hadnt have for quite some time, creativity and meaning. Without further adieau, here is chapter 6. Reviews are always appreciated and welcomed.**

* * *

Chapter 6: Return to Echo Creek

Mr. and Mrs. Diaz sat at their couch in the living room staring at their coffee table. Upon their little brown table sat an open letter along with a picture of their son and his blonde best friend. Mrs. Diaz placed a birthday card next to the picture.

"Happy Birthday my little man. Wish we could be here together," She began to sob as Mr. Diaz wrapped his arms around her.

"They will be alright Angie. Before you know it, we will see them again," He tried to comfort her. Unfortunately, there was little comfort in the surrounding silence.

* * *

The following day Star, Marco and Tom sat at a little table in front of a café at the little town. After selling more corn in the market place they decide to treat themselves because Marco had a strong craving for some coffee. He watched as Tom stirred his coffee and Star continuously added more sugar to her coffee, taking small sips of disapproval.

"Star, don't you think that's enough sugar? You already have like 4 muffins in front of you," Marco looked at her quizzically.

"Come on. You can never have enough sugar," Star stirred excitedly. She took another sip and scrunched her face. "Still not enough," She whispered loudly.

"But coffee is already full of caffeine. If you add sugar to that I can't imagine how much _more_ hyper you can get."

"She could possibly destroy the town," Tom concluded as he took a sip from his coffee. Star swallowed two of her muffins and drank her coffee proudly as she poured this thick, syrup like substance (the coffee) into her mouth. Marco watched in shock as her hands began to shake. Tom felt the chills run up his spine as she drank the coffee.

"Uh, Star?" You OK?" Marco asked.

"I…feel…. Like running!" Star jumped up to her feet and took off running in a mad sprint, laughing at the top of her lungs. Marco stood up.

"No no. Let her burn it off," Tom waved Marco down. Marco took his word and sat back down. He looked to Tom.

"You sure?"

"Hope so," Tom chuckled to himself. The two just decided to enjoy their coffee. They heard a loud crash. Marco looked up to Tom who just shook his head at him. Marco looked around and sighed as he continued drinking. Finally, about 20 minutes later, Star came back almost dragging herself. Marco and Tom had already gotten refills by this time. Star plopped herself into a chair and let her head fall into the table, face first. Tom turned to Marco. "Told you."

"Is it all out?" Marco laid his head on the table facing Star whose face was still planted firmly down.

"So… tired…" Star breathed heavily as her voice was being muffled by wood. Star reached towards Marco and gabbed his cookie off his plate. He didn't try to take it from her seeing how she was wiped. She dragged the cookie across the table until she pushed it into the side of her face until she could get it in her mouth. As the cookie disappeared her energy seemed to reappear as she popped back up to a sitting position as if she was being resurrected from the dead. A smile grew across her face. "Ok! All Better!"

"That may be but you are going to need to slow down on the sugar. You are becoming way too dependent on it," Marco commented as he drank from his cup.

"You may be right. I had to pay for a lot of broken glass right now," Star lowered her head as her eyes grew wide with shock. Marco shook his head. "What? I have the extra gold. I was able to pay for it."

"I suppose. Heh. Good thing we are not back in Echo Creek right now."

"Why?" Star's curiosity peaked.

"If I remember correctly, the annual Churro Festival should begin tomorrow."

"Churros!" Stars eyes grew wide as the excitement filled her body.

"Yeah. The mall blocks out their parking lot to do the booths, games, some small rides, a churro eating competition, even a small concert at night," Marco was counting his fingers.

"Marco! We _have_ to go!" Star screamed.

"Whoa-whoa. Star you know we can't. Dimensional travel will signal you mother that someone is jumping."

"But everything you said sounds amazing! And I love churros!"

"I know you do Star. I just don't think it is worth getting caught for. And what did I just say about the whole sugar thing?"

"I can take you," Tom voiced. Marco and Star looked at him.

"Didn't you hear what I just said."

"Of course I did. But you guys forget that I am a demon."

"Yeah, no. We didn't forget that," Star commented.

"What I mean is that demon magic is different from Mewman magic. Mewman magic comes front the energy of the universe around them. It pools and surrounds every living thing in the universe. The magic in Marco's sword is different as well. Dragon magic is generated within its own will, ergo, the stronger the will the stronger the magic. Demon magic is derived from emotions of the people in the universe, specifically from anger, fear, and sorrow," Tom explained as he sipped his coffee.

"Really?" Both Star and Marco were surprised.

"Granted, Marco, it is going to hurt if you two attempt to travel with me."

"Why is that?" Star asked.

"Because you two aren't demons. Your mortal emotions may give me strength but it gives you people pain. It will hurt you physically as my power encircles us."

"You've teleported me before and I have been fine," Star added.

"I had sent enchanted carriages to you. I had moved you around safely. And since I don't have my enchantments, I can't do a thing for you here."

"Can't you just go get them?" Marco asked.

"Can't. I am in trouble with my folks and subjects. So, much like you guys, I am on the run," Tom leaned back in his chair nonchalantly.

"You never mention that before," Marco replied.

"Or that you ever had parents," Star added.

"All stories best saved for another day," Tom obviously didn't want to talk about it. "So…you guys interested?"

"We don't have any earth money," Star said.

"You have plenty of gold. Trade some of it for cash," Tom said. Star and Marco looked at each other again.

"What do you think?" Star asked Marco.

"It would be nice to see what has happened since we've been gone," Marco replied. "What if my family catches us?"

"Would that be so bad?" Star looked at him sincerely. "We can be discreet if you like. You know like we have been doing here, just blending in." Marco looked at his coffee and smiled.

"Let's go have some fun," Marco smiled at her.

"Yay!" Star jumped up in joy. "The safe kid is taking a chance!" Star jumped up on her chair and yelled as she pointed at Marco as if she was trying to draw attention. Marco just laughed as he tried to wave her down.

"Star!"

"Keep it down out there!" The café owner yelled from inside.

"Sorry!" The three-yelled back in unison.

"Alright. We will go tomorrow morning. For now, let's just enjoy the coffee," Tom leaned back again to drink his coffee. He looked about the town and the blue sky that had clouds floating about. "A guy could get use to this."

* * *

Marco, Star, and Tom stood in the backyard of their home that following morning. Star was so excited that she was breathing heavily, hopping up and down. Marco just laughed at her.

"Slow down Star. If you keep this up you won't have any energy for the festival," Marco smiled. Tom stood next to him.

"Nothing a few churros won't fix," Tom commented. "Just as a reminder, this is going to hurt. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"On earth, we like to say 'no pain, no gain,'" Marco replied.

"Everybody says that Marco," Tom retorted. Marco just shrugged. "Alright. Here we go," Tom inhaled deeply and threw his arms out to the side as Marco and Star stood around him. In that instant, a burst of flames encircled them. Marco and Star felt like the ground was ripped away from under their feet and were falling through a tube of fire. Star then began to fall backwards while holding her stomach and Marco fell forward holding his stomach with one hand and falling to his free hand and knees. Before they knew it, they felt solid ground as the flames around them burst away , revealing grass beneath them. Star and Marco began to dry heave from the pain. "You guys ok?" Tom looked down upon them without much concern.

"Could have been worst…" Star winced at the pain.

"Are you kidding...? That…. that was terrible..." Marco retorted.

"Is it normal to taste feet in your mouth?" Star got on her knees.

"Told you guys it was gonna be painful" Tom said as he looked around. "So… where are we?" Marco looked up. Almost in shock, he stood up while stumbling in pain and looked around with a smile on his face.

"Star… It's Echo Creek Park!" Marco turned to her quickly. Star got up to her feet with shaky knees as quickly as she could. Everything looked the same since the day they left; the swings, the children, the slides, the bridge that went over the mud pond. All of it.

"We're back!" Star jumped up in joy and upon landing fell backwards again. Marco ran up to her to pull her up to her feet again.

"Yeah!" Marco then took off running around the park with Star running behind him laughing and cheering. Tom just followed behind with his hands behind his head. Upon stopping, Star and Marco stood at the edge of the park to look towards the city. Everything was the same, even though it felt like a new dimension to them; Marco and Star stood, panting heavily, next to each other as the people of Echo creek began their daily commute. "Who knew I could miss this place so much."

"I know. It has been 2 long years since we've been here," Star looked up at Marco. "Now, let's get some spending money," Star cheerfully pulled her coin bag to the side of her face and jingled it.

Star and Marco both walked out of a checking place, both with big smiles on their faces. Tom waited out by the sidewalk when he heard the two approaching from behind him.

"You guys look pleased," Tom remarked.

"That's because Star and got $2,400 for our gold," Marco had a glow.

"And it only costed us 5 gold pieces each," Star leaned against Marco. Tom still didn't seem excited.

"So, that's good?"

"Yeah it is!" Star jumped up in joy. "We got some spending money!"

"And it is fair to say for us to go nuts!" Marco throw his arms in the air. Marco divided the money, giving Tom $600 while Star and himself got $900. Tom looked at him with surprise.

"What's this for?" Tom asked.

"I figured it wouldn't be fair if Star and I had all the fun. Even you deserve some spending cash with how you've been helping us lately," Marco patted Tom on the shoulder.

"Awe, Marco. That's so sweet of you," Star's eyes beamed.

"Yeah… thanks Marco," Tom thoughtfully placed the money in his pocket. He lightly chuckled at the gesture.

"So, when does the Churro Fest begin?" Star asked.

"We still got an hour. We can always get breakfast before we go," Marco suggested.

"Breakfast Burritos!" Star's eyes beamed again as she ran down the sidewalk.

"Star! Wait for us!" Marco shouted as he and Tom chased after her.

* * *

The trio were sitting at a table outside of a little Mexican restaurant. The building was small so all the tables were outside and the orders were called out from a window. Star took a bite from her burrito with tears of joy running down her cheeks.

"Oh… I have missed this so much," Star cried heavenly. Even Marco couldn't suppress a small tear from forming.

"Finally, an authentic Mexican horchata," he blissfully drank from his Styrofoam cup.

"This is pretty good," Tom commented nonchalantly. After they were done, they sat around the table waiting for the festival to begin. Star and Marco couldn't help but to admire the city from their table. Time had really passed but it left many of the old landmarks the same. It had felt as if time had stood still waiting for their return.

"Ok Star. I do feel it would probably be best if we remain inconspicuous," Marco said to her as they stood up.

"Right, right," Star whispered loudly Marco pulled his hoody over his head. Star pulled out her wand and poof a rainbow colored top hat on her head. Marco's eyes grew wide.

"You brought your wand!?" Marco screamed.

"Heck yeah I did!" Star spun her wand.

"What happen to remaining inconspicuous!?"

"I am sure we will be fine Marco. We aren't on Mewni. Besides, if my mom can sense my magic here it may help throw her off our trail," Star explained. Marco stood staring at her with the color flushed from his face. Star just had a big smile on her face.

"I think I am going to throw up," Marco grabbed his stomach. All of this seemed overwhelming to him.

"Come on safe kid. Take a chance," Star nudged him.

"Yeah. Don't be a weeny," Tom included. Unbeknownst to them, two young men stopped a few tables away to listen to the conversation. Once they heard the title of 'safe kid,' the two men made a mad sprint to the trio.

"Marco!" The two men yelled as they tackled Marco to the ground. Star and Tom stared in shock. Marco stared up into a pale, fairly portly face with red hair and blue eyes. This guy was Chubby with a capital C, but he still sports gray sweat pants with a matching sweater over a black shirt. The other man had brown eyes, brown skin with curly black hair. He wore glasses, the same stripped blue and white shirt with cargo pants. Difference was he was a bit taller and a bit fuller in the gut.

"Alfonso! Ferguson!" Marco yelled in joy as the trio embraced in a hug.

"Guys!" Star jumped in front of them.

"Star!" The boys yelled as they got up on their feet to hug her as well.

"Where have you guys been!?" Ferguson helped Marco off the floor.

"You two have been gone for 2 years! We thought maybe you had been abducted by aliens!" Alfonso was excited.

"Aliens? Really?" Marco patted himself off.

"Hey man, aliens are real. It is not a mater to be made fun of," Ferguson replied seriously. Star walked up to Marco.

"Yeah Marco, you don't want to be making fun of aliens," Star added. Marco chuckled as he patted the guys on their shoulders.

"You two haven't changed a bit," Marco laughed.

"Not like you! When did you become a stud?" Ferguson lifted Marco's arms to see his well-toned muscles.

"And you are so beautiful, Star," Alfonso complemented her young curves that had been developing.

"Oh, stop it," Star blushed as she waved her wand at him. Alfonso had gotten slapped by a hand made of rainbows.

"Yes, please stop," Tom said sourly.

"You guys are crazy. We haven't changed," Marco place his arm around Ferguson.

"So… where have you been!" Ferguson repeated his question.

"Uh…," Star and Marco replied.

"Come on! You can tell us. We're friends," Alfonso persuaded.

"Well, I want to tell you guys where we have been…" Marco began to say.

"… we have been hiding!" Star jumped ahead. "Marco and I own a farm in another dimeson!" Marco slapped his forehead.

"What!" Alfonso and Ferguson jumped up in excitement.

"What I wanted to say is that we can't tell you where. It is for your own safety," Marco finished his thought.

"I know that Marco. That is why I didn't tell them we have been on Mewni," Star turned to him to see that both Marco and Tom had fallen over. "I just told them we have been on Mewni, huh?" Star dropped her arms in shame.

"Isn't that where you are from?" Ferguson asked. Tom stood up.

"Well they know too much. I will just roast them now," Tom burst into flames. Alfonso and Ferguson held each other in fear. Star waved her wand to create a giant pail of water over Tom and poured the water onto him, putting out his flames. Tom hung his arms in annoyance.

"Nobody is roasting anyone Tom," Star said. Tom huffed.

"Guys! You can tell anyone that!" Marco jumped back up on his feet.

"We promise!" The two still staring in fear at Tom.

The five of them were walking together to the Churro Festival. They had some catching up to do.

"So, you guys are home owners?" Ferguson asked.

"And Farmers?" Alfonso jumped in.

"Yup. We grow our own food and make our own clothes," Marco proudly admitted.

"All without magic," Star jumped with excitement.

"Mostly."

"Oh, I see what's going on," Ferguson chuckled with Alfonso.

"You two finally tied the knot!" Alfonso screamed.

"What!" Star and Marco turned white.

"Don't act bashful. We knew it was only a matter of time," Ferguson wrapped his arm around Marco's shoulders.

"And look at the fine housewife Star has become," Alfonso waved his hands around Star.

"I knew it!" Tom grew angry.

"You already know that story, Tom!" Star stared Tom down.

"Alfonso! Ferguson! You guys got the wrong idea!" Marco turned to them.

"Mm-hm, _sure_ we do," Ferguson gave him a sly look.

"Don't think we didn't notice these things. We knew it was gonna happen eventually," Alfonso nudged Marco.

"And you know what that means, "Ferguson turned to Alfonso. "Time for you to pay up!" Alfonso huffed as he reached into his pocket. Marco split the two apart.

"You guys were betting on us!" Marco screamed at the two who had cheesy smiles on their faces as they nodded in agreement. "We are not together! I was helping Star run away! Her mother was going to send her away but we ran instead!" Marco explained. Alfonso and Ferguson watched as Marco panted uncontrollably and Star unable to control her mad blushing. The two men sighed.

"So, you two ran away for 2 years to get away from responsibility?" Ferguson asked.

"That is a crazy idea, even for you Marco," Alfonso added.

"Totally irresponsible," Ferguson folded his arms.

"What did you expect? Star is family to me. I couldn't let her leave," Marco's voice became sincere. Star felt her breathe getting heavier, blushing wildly. Tom groaned at the sight of Star.

"Ok. Whatever you say," Ferguson threw his arm s up in defeat.

"Thank you," Marco tried to clear the frustration out of himself. He looked back at Star who was staring at him. "You ok?"

"Yeah… yeah. I'm fine," Star looked away quickly, realizing she was still blushing, evident by the heat she felt in her cheeks. "We should keep moving. Those churros ain't going to eat themselves," Star tried to get energetic again. Alfonso and Ferguson smirked at each other, watching how flustered Star was getting. They continued walking for a bit without saying much.

* * *

Oil filled the air along with the heat of the fryers, the smell of frying dough and cinnamon, and the sounds of sizzling. People ran around yelling in joy and pain at the bite of a freshly fried churro, still crackling with heat. To try and add to the authenticity of the setting, salsa and mariachi music played, along with other music, as people walked from booth to booth to try different churros, play games, even getting a kiss from various kissing booths. Much like a carnival, they had rides such as Ferris Wheels, Mary-Go-Rounds, and the spinning teacups. All of which was placed conveniently at the Echo Creek Mall parking lot where the festival visitors can wonder off and purchase other consumer goods. Star ran through the entrance to take a massive sniff and exhale heavenly at the smell of this Hispanic pastry.

"That smells awesome!" Star threw her hands into the air.

"Yeah it does!" Ferguson and Alfonso ran past her. Marco and Tom approached coolly from behind her.

"Awe man. I can't wait to sink my teeth into a churro," Marco began to drool.

"I know right. Now I think we should split up into teams. Marco, you go with your friends while Star and I feed churros to each other," Tom started to push Marco away.

"I'm not going anywhere with you by myself Tom," Star crossed her arms as Tom hissed.

"Well I tried," Tom began to walk away defeated. Marco walked up next to Star.

"What is with that guy?" Star pointed at Tom with her thumb.

"I don't know, but I still don't like him," Marco replied with a chuckle.

"Then stop involving him in our activities."

"We can't just ignore him. He is a jerk but I am not going to ignore him. Besides, he had been pretty helpful to us," Marco started to walk. After an hour, they sat at one of the fold out tables to enjoy an assortment of different filled churros. Alfonso and Ferguson made the churros hang out of their mouths like teeth with Marco and Star laughing at them. They even took pictures with Alfonso and Ferguson's camera phones.

"Phew! I feel like running!" Star screamed.

"That's just the sugar rushing to your head," Marco laughed.

"I know! Isn't it great!" Ferguson screamed into Marco's ear, causing his hair to sway in his breath.

"Do you guys have to scream?" Tom was becoming annoyed.

"It is the will of the churro! Life is just that much sweeter!" Star stuffed another churro into her mouth.

"Maybe we should play some games to try and burn some of that sugar off," Marco smirked at them.

"I want to go to the kissing booth!" Ferguson jumped up.

"I said games, not kissing booth," Marco replied.

"What's the matter Marco? Are you scared?" Alfonso taunted him.

"Of course I'm not scared," Marco defended himself.

"It's just he has never kissed a girl before!" Star jumped in.

"Star!" Marco turned to her frantically.

"Oh. That's just sad," Tom found himself smiling.

"That's not true! I have kissed a girl before."

"Your mother doesn't count," Tom replied.

"Come on safe kid. If you're not scared, why don't you show us then? The booth is right over there," Ferguson pointed.

"I am not doing it," Marco folded his arms.

"Do it. Do it," They began to chant.

"NO."

"Do it. Do it. Do it."

"NO!"

"Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it!" They grew louder. Marco turned a deep red as he stood from his seat.

"Fine!"

"Yeah!" They all jumped as they followed him to the booth. They all stood behind him as he walked up to the booth.

"How much for…" Marco paused mid-sentence. Star's smile started to fade when she saw the girl at the booth. Her hair color was still ivory that sat at the same length when they had left earth. It still had its streak of green, her skin was still tan that complemented her green eyes. "…Jackie Lynn Thomas…" Marco was at a loss of words. Jackie froze in place in shock at the sight of the boy who use to have a crush on her. Only thing was, he wasn't just a boy anymore but a handsome young man.

"Marco…?" Jackie was out of breath. They stared at each other without exchanging many words. Jackie finally broke the silence. "Is it really you?"

"Yeah…" Marco replied quietly.

"One dollar…" Jackie replied equally quiet as they began to lean towards each other. Star grew nervous and faint. Star couldn't let this happen.

"Jackie!" Star pushed Marco out of the way to hug Jackie. Jackie seemed to shake herself out of her trance to stare at this blonde girl.

"Omigod! Star Butterfly!" Jackie grew excited as she wrapped her arms around Star. Ferguson and Alfonso helped Marco off the floor. "Girl, where have you been?!"

"Oh, you know. Partying in different dimensions, causing trouble, that kind of stuff," Star covered.

"I thought you said you and Marco were farmers?" Ferguson stood next to Star. Star frowned as she pushed him away. Jackie stuck her head out of the booth to look at Marco, no longer in his trance for her.

"Marco Diaz! It's so good to see you."

"Yeah. You too Jackie. You know, until I was pushed to the ground that is," Marco glared at Star.

"Sorry Marco…. I was just too excited to see Jackie," Star lied with a nervous chuckle.

"Hold on guys, my shift at this booth is almost done. We need to catch up," Jackie said as she started to pack her bag.

"That sounds great," Marco smiled widely.

"Yeah…great," Star clenched her teeth behind her smile. After about 10 minutes, Jackie rode on her skateboard to join the gang at the table.

"Hey guys. Thanks for waiting," Jackie said as she pulled up a chair next to Marco. Star's eyes grew wide. Marco was greeted with a hug. "Wow. Had to make sure you were really here." Jackie laughed as Marco had this dreamy look in his eyes.

"Yeah. It's really us, "Star found herself feeling uneasy.

"Where have you guys been the last 2 years?"

"Hiding," Marco said quickly.

"Hiding?"

"Yeah. We ran off to another dimension," Star added.

"What have you been doing?" Jackie was excited.

"Well, we became farmers. Selling food to make money and building things with our own hands. Just like the pioneers," Marco admitted proudly.

"Wow. That's so romantic," Jackie commented. Marco and Star's eyes widened.

"No! It's nothing like that!" Marco jumped.

"We aren't involved!" Star jumped with him.

"Oh… sorry guys. It was just a thought, seeing how you two were always together and all," Jackie laughed nervously.

"Jackie, I had asked you out before I left. What made you think that Star and I were an item?" Marco looked at Jackie who just shrugged in response.

"So, I guess that means you are still available, huh?" Jackie blushed as she looked up at Marco. He blushed a bit at the question. Star began to feel uneasy again.

"Yeah, I guess I am. But we have to go back tonight. We aren't too sure how safe it is for us to be here," Marco said.

"You mean you aren't back to stay?" Jackie frowned. This took Alfonso and Ferguson by surprise as well.

"But we are back together, like the three musketeers," Ferguson whined.

"A trio of banditos!" Alfonso screamed.

"Hey! What about me?!" Star slapped the table.

"Oh, we didn't forget about you," Alfonso arched his eyebrows.

"Back off 4 eyes. She's mine," Tom remarked.

"No I am not," Star glared at him.

"So, he isn't your boyfriend?" Jackie asked Star as she pointed at Tom. The very thought made Star's skin crawl.

"What would give you that idea!" Star screamed at Jackie.

"Your necklace. It's beautiful. The stones shine rainbows and they were carefully tied down as if it was hand made. Seems like something a boyfriend would do for their girlfriend," Everyone looked at Star's necklace. Marco blushed a bit in realization of what Jackie was talking about. Tom huffed a bit.

"Marco made this for me…." Star's voice was quiet.

"Oh…" Jackie nodded her head slowly. "My bad Star. Like I said, I thought he did that for you," Jackie pointed at Tom once again.

"I would dip myself in bacon grease and run through the Forest of Certain Death naked before I give that one a date," Star recomposed herself to insult Tom.

"Now that hurts Star," Tom's eyes fell half closed. Jackie began to laugh. They looked at her.

"I'm sorry. I guess I really miss this craziness," Jackie gestured to all of them. "Well if you can't stay, let's make the most of today. It is a festival and we have a lot of catching-up to do. Let's have fun," Jackie stood. Marco stood up with her.

"Yeah. Let's do it!" Marco cheered with her. He turned to Star. "Come on Star!" Marco reached his hands to her. Star responded with a blush. _What is going on with me? Why am I so happy that he is including me? Especially…especially after what Jackie just said…._ Star thought to herself. Jackie watched how Marco was acting with Star as well. And with that, the group got up to enjoy the festival.

* * *

Marco, Tom, and Alfonso were at a game that required bb guns to knock over moving ducks. Jackie and Star stood back cheering the boys on. When Tom was up, he used his finger to shoot bolts of fire at the ducks. Marco waked up to him at the end.

"Hey, that's cheating," Marco remarked.

"I did what the game told me to do! I knocked over the ducks," Tom pointed.

"You gotta use the gun. Here, let me show you," Marco picked up the gun. When the bell rang, Marco took aim and started to shoot down the ducks. One by one, all the ducks were knocked down.

"Alright! Go Marco!" Jackie cheered.

"Yeah Marco! I taught him everything he knows," Star nudged Jackie who just laughed in response. Tom huffed.

"That wasn't anything special," Tom crossed his arms. The game owner grabbed a giant stuffed bear to give to Marco. He turned around and gave the bear to Jackie.

"Marco, it's adorable," Jackie hugged the bear. Star watched with shocked eyes. Alfonso snuck up next to Star.

"Don't worry. I will win you something," Alfonso attempted to flirt as he grabbed the gun. After the game, he was only successful at knocking over one duck. "Rigged! This game is rigged!" The group laughed at him. Everyone except for Star who chuckled quietly to herself, watching Jackie standing next to Marco.

"Did a three-year-old teach you how to shoot?" A voice called from behind the group. They looked back to see a girl with a greenish beanie and black hair staring at them with her brown eyes. This girl bore a smile until shock covered her face. "Marco? Star?"

"Janna?" Star and Marco smiled.

"Guys! You're back," out of character, Janna ran up to them and gave them a hug. They returned the is notion by embracing her in a group hug. "When did you guys get back? Janna released them.

"We will tell you once you give me back my wallet," Marco retorted as he held his hand out. Janna smiled.

"Ah. You notice," Janna handed his wall back.

"Janna, it is so good to see you again," Star pushed Marco out of the way.

"Yeah. What have you two been up to? Tell me your story," Janna wrapped her arm around Star's shoulder. The group began to walk away from the game to catch up with a newly reunited friend.

* * *

After a while, the group decided to get on a few rides, with Marco making many objections.

"I can't get on any rides you guys. I get motion sickness," Marco whined as they stood in line. The others were laughing.

"Don't worry Marco. The force of the spin isn't strong enough to detach your brain from your spinal cord," Janna teased.

"Sounds like no fun then," Tom laughed.

"See. He gets it," Janna pointed at Tom. Tom smiled lightly as Janna shook him by the arm.

"If you guys want to get on, you can, but I am not going," Marco throw his arms up in the air.

"Come on Marco. It'll be fun," Jackie nudged him with her shoulder. Marco blushed.

"Uh…ok," Marco slumped his shoulders in defeat.

"Yay!" Star jumped to Marco's other side. Marco nervously entered one of the spinning cups with Jackie and Star sitting on either side of him and Janna sitting next to Jackie.

"Sorry boys. You are gonna have to find another cup," Janna kicked Ferguson away.

"But we wanted to ride with Marco and Star!" Alfonso whined.

"I was hoping to have a cup all to me and Star," Tom complained as well.

"No way Tom," Star replied. Defeated, the other three jumped into another spinning cup. The gals laughed as Marco began to sweat. Jackie took a towel from her pocked and patted Marco's forehead dry. Marco smiled at her with star watching them with a blush running across her face. Then the ride began to move.

"Oh boy…" Marco started to turn white. The girls grabbed the little round table in front of them and started to spin the cup. With the increasing speed, the girl's laughter increased in volume, along with Marco's nausea. Star threw her arms up in laughter.

"Faster!" Star yelled.

"Like it ain't fast enough!" Marco whined.

"Come on Star! Make our heads spin! Use some magic!" Janna yelled in joy.

"Oh yeah!" Star laughed as she pulled out her wand. She made circle in the air until a rainbow formed and encircled the cup. The cup began to pick up speed. Jackie and Janna screamed in joy while Marco began to turn green. The girls were laughing so hard that they didn't realize they began sliding in their seats and Star's wand was emitting green light in the center. Suddenly, the entire ride began to move faster. Everyone was beginning to panic.

"Star! I think this may be too fast!" Jackie yelled. She grabbed a hold of Marco's arm. Star couldn't take her eyes off them. Then another burst of green energy shot out as the ride began to spin even faster.

"Slow it down!" Janna screamed as she was getting smashed in her seat by the others. Star snapped out of it and tried waving her wand in the opposite direction.

"I…I can't!" Star stared at her wand as nothing was happening. Then it felt as if the ride was moving up into the air. The cups detached from the ride sending people skidding across the floor or flying into nearby booths. Fortunately for Star and the others, their cup skidded to the floor, spinning to a halt. Once they stopped, Marco ran from the cup to the nearest trash can and began to empty the contents of his stomach. The girls stood slowly holding their heads from the dizziness. Star turned to the ride and noticed that tentacles were coming from under it. Where the cups were sitting on the ride, tentacles protrude out to receive the missing cups. Teeth protrude from the sides of the platform until it bent in half looking like the maw of a beast. Eyes of lightning shone brightly from the center of the maw, indicating that this creature did not have a true head and the rest of the body consisted of only tentacles. The monster gave a guttural roar as it began to slither through the festival leaving people screaming in all directions they could to run away from the creature.

"You made a monster!" Marco lifted his head form the trash can until he had to make another nose dive into it. Star stared in disbelief.

"Yeah! That's awesome!" Janna screamed in joy.

"No, it is not awesome," Marco, finally able to gather himself, walked up beside Star. "Star, you are gonna have to get rid of it."

"Right…," Star, still in disbelief, charged the monster. "Rainbow Fist Punch!" Star yelled as a rainbow fist flew from her wand. It hit the monster in the maw. The monster growled at the attack then launched one of the cups at Star. Star jumped to her side to avoid the attack.

"I need my sword," Marco panicked. He reached into his pocket to pull out the dimensional scissors. "But it's too risky. Star's mom will know we came to earth…right? But Star needs my help and Tom is nowhere in sight." Marco looked around. He caught a gaze of Jackie's worried face. Janna was with her but was actually excited by the turn of events. Marco turned back to the monster to see Star running from a barrage of tentacles. He sighed as he brought the scissors up and cut open a gate to another dimension, specifically their home. "You guys hang tight. I will be right back!" Marco turned to Jackie and Janna before he disappeared into the portal.

"Did he just leave?" Tom popped up behind Jackie and Janna, surprising the girls.

"Rocket Bunny Blast!" Star launched herself up into the air to avoid a swipe from a tentacle. She landed on a game booth and turned to the monster. "Glitter Dragon Lightning Chain!" A dragon made of blue light and glitter flew out of Star's wand and spun around the monster, sending bolts of lightning at the monster. The monster roared in pain. It used its tentacles to lift itself up and bite the dragon. The dragon roared and it poof into a massive cloud glitter. "Come on! Narwhal Blast!" Star launched narwhals at the monster. It just opened its massive maw and swallowed the narwhals whole. Star gasped. The monster launched two of the spinning cups at Star. Star jumped off the booth from behind to avoid the attack. She held her head to avoid being injured by falling debris. With a loud crash, the monster plowed through the booth Star was hiding behind of. In response, Star rolled away, now on her feet, she turned to face the monster. The power of its roar blew her hair back. She shielded her eyes from the force of the roar. Because of this roar, Star failed to notice that the star on her wand began to flow green again. She aimed her wand at it again and shot a green beam at it. With bolts of green electricity coursing through it the monster began to grow bigger. "What!?" Star looked down at her wand. She left herself open. The monster swung a tentacle at her, sending her flying into another game booth.

"Star!" Jackie, Janna and Tom yelled. Tom ran up to the monster and started to shoot bolts of fire at it. The monster shielded its face as it charged him. Tom launched himself up into the air with fire, hovering above the monster. Tom unleashed a torrent of fire onto the monster. A few tentacles were visible from the fire pillar. Then a massive barrage of tentacles flew straight up at Tom. Tom stared in shock. The monster caught Tom and pulled him to the ground, slamming him into another game booth. Star was trying to sit up in the ruble she lay in, but it was proving difficult. "Star!" Jackie and Janna both yelled again. Star looked to her side to the two girls who were too blurry to see. "Star!" The voices were growing faint but increased in panic. All she could see was a tentacle blocking her view of them. Star looked straight up into the sky as she felt her body being lifted. A low growl was all she could hear.

"Marco…" Star called softly as the monster brought her closer to its mouth. "Marco…. I need you…" her voice was soft and her face wet with tears as she felt the breath of the monster grow ever stronger. Then a bright light shone and there was a ring above the monster's head.

"Let her go!" Screamed a figure falling from the circle like a red lightning bolt. And then Star felt her body falling again. Her vision began to clear up and she saw Marco in a low stance in front of her. He had fallen from the sky and cut through the monster's tentacle.

"Marco…" Star tried to yell in joy but felt too weak. She could see a massive pillar of fire shooting from one of the booths and Tom burst through the flames. Marco charged the monster. It sent tentacles flying at him but he figured eight the sword around his body, slicing through every tentacle without slowing his speed. Tom flew behind Marco and shot a flamethrower of power into the creature's maw, blinding the monster from the charging human and demon. Tentacles were flailing violently in pain as Marco slid under the monster. With a massive and powerful swing, Marco cut the creature in half, resulting in a ghastly roar. Slime and noxious gas spewed into the air and metal parts and spinning cups flew in all directions. Marco stood straight surrounded by piles of tentacles and slime, covered in slime himself.

"Oh boy… hope this doesn't stain," Marco was shaking in disgust. He turned to were Star was and ran towards her. "Star!" He slid on his knees to look down at her. He placed an arm around the back of her head and his free hand on her cheek. "Star… speak to me…"

"Marco… don't get that slime in my hair," Star opened her eyes slowly as she chuckled. Marco laughed in relief.

"Too late. Sorry," Marco put his forehead to hers. Star closed her eyes in bliss.

"Marco! Star!" Jackie and Janna yelled as they ran up to them. Marco and Star both looked up. Jackie got on her knees to Star's other side while Janna stood behind Jackie. Tom floated to his feet behind Marco.

"Is she ok?" Tom looked worriedly at Star.

"She's fine," Marco smiled at him.

"What a relief," Jackie put her hand on Star's shoulder.

"Marco, that was wicked of you," Janna complemented.

"Yeah Marco. Where did you learn to do that?" Jackie looked at him. Marco chuckled.

"Marco!" Alfonso and Ferguson came running.

"Guys!" Marco laughed. They fell to their knees next to him and hugged him.

"We are so glad you're ok!" Ferguson yelled.

"Oh no! Star is injured! I will kiss her to awaken her!" Alfonso puckered his lips.

"Don't even think about it!" Marco and Star both yelled. Then they stared at each other in shock with crimson painting their faces.

"Um… let's get you up," Marco tucked his shoulder under Star's armpit and helped her up.

"Thank you…," Star said softly. Then they were surrounded in a group hug.

"You guys were awesome!" Jackie laughed.

"And you set everything on fire!" Janna punched Tom on the arm. "That was totally cool."

"Well…. It was nothing," Tom found himself being modest while scratching the back of his head.

"And where did you get such a sweet sword!" Ferguson squealed. They looked around and saw that have of the festival area was trashed.

"Ah man. I was looking forward to the live concert. I was gonna put on my dancing shoes," Star joked. The group laughed. Through their laughter, they failed to notice a couple approaching them, treading quietly up to the group.

"Marco?" A voice called. Marco turned around to see who called him. His eyes grew in shock as he stared at 2 people whose eyes would refuse to be ripped away from him. His breath grew heavy.

"Mom… Dad…" Was all he could muster to say.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello! I have returned! Forgive me for putting these things out only a month at a time. I get so caught up with work or errands sometimes that I dont get to put enough quality time into my fanfiction. Also, I take so long to get these out because i spend a lot of time writing them by hand before I type them. That way i can proof read before they come on here. Granted i still miss something things every now and them but i do hope it isnt so significant that no ones knows where i am going with it. Also, February is a big month for SVTFOE. Do the shorter time frames worry anyone though? We will just have to wait and see. Comments are still welcomed and appreciated. Without any further adieau, Runaway Chapter 7.**

* * *

Chapter 7: To Stay Or Not To Stay

"Mom… Dad…" Marco stared into a pair of eyes. Eyes that looked as if they were filled with doubt of the live evidence that their son stood before them. Eyes that began to fill with pain as their only child stared right back at them as if they were an illusion. It wasn't until Marco's mother took the chance to reach out to grab at this seeming illusion of a young man that stood before them motionless, voiceless. She walked forward cautiously as if she was approaching a wild animal, hoping not to scare it off. After 2 years, Marco stood a few inches taller than his mother as she carefully reached up to touch his face. He flinches, almost scared to let her touch him but he remains. Her hands were soft against his cheeks as they yearned with that motherly love that he had left behind. The tears began to run down her cheeks as she let out a small smile with chuckling gasps of joy.

"Marco!" His mom screamed as she wrapped her arms around her son, pressing her head against his shoulder.

"Mom…" Marco's tears ran into his mother's hair as he embraced her in return. His father ran desperately to wrap his arms around his family.

"Mi Hijo! Mi hijo has returned!" His dad yelled in joy. The group of friends stood back in hope that they would not interfere with this moment. Even Star felt as though she should stand back. That was until Marco's mom turned to her.

"Star!" Marco's mother reached out and pulled Star into the family hug. Star was panting heavily because she had feared that Marco's parents would be angry with her, that they would curse her existence. It was the complete opposite. They had embraced her as one of their own. Star let the joy run into the form of tears as she embraced the Diaz's in return.

"Uh… we should get going. We'll see you guys soon?" Jackie didn't wish to interrupt but she didn't want to take Star and Marco from this moment.

"Yeah… we'll see you soon," Marco answered, voice quivering with joy. Jackie smiled as she returned to the rest of their friends to leave the happy family be.

* * *

Mr. and Mrs. Diaz walked home with Star and Marco following behind them. Little words were shared but mainly because Marco's parents wanted to wait until they got home. Something about 'needing to get home already' was all they had told them. Every now and then Star and Marco would exchange glances, a bit worried of what was going on. That was quickly replaced with excitement and admiration as he realized that they were down the street from his home, evident by landmarks that he use to walk by when he would leave for school, leaving to the park, or even to grab a snack from the gas station down the way. And then their it was; the Diaz home. Their lay the Hispanic like home with yellowing grass, the cactus still green and spiky with accompanying boulders. The house was its same white brick walls and red plated roofs with the two tower like protrusions that still stuck out, making it the most peculiar looking home on the block courtesy of Star Butterfly. They entered through the old red door to the house and upon walking in Marco inhaled deeply as he cozied up to the familiar living space. Only thing that took him off guard was that there was a teenage girl sitting on their old yellow couch.

"Oh! Mr. and Mrs. Diaz! Welcome home!" The young girl grew excited. "You two are home early."

"Thank you, Caitlyn! Things got a little too exciting so we decide to come home early. How was everything?" Mr. Diaz returned. The young girl walked up to the Diaz's.

"Everything went great. After she ate she went right to sleep like you said."

"Thank you so much. Here is your payment and a little something extra for doing such a great job," Mr. Diaz pulled out his wallet and gave the young girl some cash.

"Thank you so much! Anything else before I go?"

"That will be all. Thank you again Caitlyn," Mrs. Diaz walked her out the door.

"Ok. Good night," The young girl skipped her way off. Marco turned to his parents.

"Did she say 'she?'" Marco was confused. Mrs. Diaz took this opportunity to run upstairs.

"Give me one moment," She told Marco and Star.

"Please you two, come sit. We got something to show you," Mr. Diaz sounded excited as he led them to the couch. As they sat, Marco's mom came back down the stairs with something in her arms. Marco's and Star's eyes grew wide as Mrs. Diaz got closer. In a pink blanket, a baby girl slept blissfully wrapped in warmth. Mrs. Diaz approached Marco and Star and handed the baby to Marco who stared in complete awe along with Star.

"Say hello to your baby sister," Mrs. Diaz was excited to say. She had a bit of a hop when she got to say that.

"I… have a sister?" Marco was at a lost as this tan skinned, dark hair baby slept soundly.

"She is adorable…" Star began to squeal as her eyes grew wide with wonder and pacifiers replaced the hearts on her cheeks.

"How old is she?" Marco looked up at his parents.

"10 months," his mom replied.

"10 months…" Marco laughed lightly to himself.

"What's her name?" Star asked.

"We actually named her Estrella, after you," Mr. Diaz chimed happily.

"Estrella? But my name is Star."

"That is her name. Estrella is Star in Spanish," Marco turned to her. Tears of joy ran down Star's cheeks.

"Awe… I love that name," Star cooed as she brought her head closer to the baby.

"Marco…," Marco's mom looked at him pleadingly. Marco looked up at his mother. "I think it is time for to explain yourself, "His mother looked upon him sternly. Marco gulped loudly.

"You too, Star. Your parents are worried sick about you," Mr. Diaz turned to her. Star nervously chuckled.

"Well… for starters… this isn't Star's fault. I am the one who pushed her to run away. It was all my idea," Marco hung his head to avoid the stares of his parents. As he continued to tell his story he never once showed that he was ashamed of his actions and strongly admitted that he was proud of what he did.

* * *

Marco was rummaging around in the kitchen that evening, fixing up some nachos while Star, Mr. and Mrs. Diaz, and Estrella sat at the table. Star was making little figures of suns, unicorns and rabbits float above Estrella while the little girl giggled as she tried to reach up and catch the figures.

"Star, your outfit is adorable! Where did you get it?" Mrs. Diaz tugged at Star's skirt.

"Well, I made it," Star admitted rather bashfully.

"You did?"

"Yeah. Since Marco and I have been living on our own I figured I should learn how to sow. I still like to express myself blatantly, Star joked as she raised her arms up.

"Nonsense. It's a beautiful outfit. I see my son still loves to sport the red hoody."

"Actually, I made that for him. I… I have always been fond of his look. Just wanted him to feel… familiar," Star began to turn red. Mrs. Diaz noticed it and giggled.

"Mijo, where is this home of yours?" Mr. Diaz called from the table. Marco chuckled nervously as he stared from the kitchen counter.

"Forgive me dad, but I can't tell you. Star and I are in hiding until she is ready for her royal duty," Marco explained.

"But why can't you tell us?"

"It's not that I don't want to tell you. We are just trying to stay hidden and I am afraid it could get you guys in trouble."

"Do you think my parents would harm them?" Star turned to Marco.

"No, but remember, you do have enemies out there that would kill for that information," Marco grabbed a bag of chips.

"Do you mean Ludo?"

"Yeah. We know he is still out there and we know he has his own wand. The less people who know about our whereabouts the better," Marco approached the table with a mountain of nachos. "Bon appetite."

"Oooo. I have been craving this for a long time!" Star began to pick at the nachos briskly.

"So, does this mean that you will not be staying?" Mrs. Diaz looked at Star and Marco with concern.

"Sorry mom, but we can't," Marco looked at his mother sympathetically.

"When we got that letter from you… I was hoping it meant you were on your way home to stay… not just to visit," Mrs. Diaz looked at her plate. Marco and Star winced. "I don't understand why you can't stay. You two have been fighting monsters for a long time. I don't see why you can't do that from here," Mrs. Diaz whined.

"Because Star is safer where we are. I am not ready to give her up," Marco started to put chips in his mouth, unaware that Star and his parents stopped to stare at him. Catching onto the quietness, Marco looked up. "What?"

"Nothing," The three responded, leaving Marco confused and Star with bright red cheeks. Marco shrugged it off as he continued to eat.

* * *

Marco and his dad went upstairs to put Estrela to bed, leaving Mrs. Diaz and Star downstairs. Star was doing the dishes while Mrs. Diaz dried them off with a towel. She was smiling slyly at Star.

"Star, you have no idea how happy it makes me to see you again," Mrs. Diaz smiled brightly.

"Thank you, Mrs. Diaz. I am happy to be back," Star returned the smile. "Oh, and it was amazing to have Marco's nachos again," Star began to drool.

"Have you two been having trouble eating?"

"No. We grow our own vegetables and either Marco or I hunt for meat. Or we just go to the local market place for produce."

"That's a relief. You made it sound like you two were struggling."

"We did at first, but it's different where we are at," Star was careful to not mention Mewni. "Nothing is canned or bottled. We gather only what we are going to eat for a day or two. And we don't have any of the junk food or sugary drinks that are here on earth. I have been wanting a slushy for such a long time," Star began drooling again while Mrs. Diaz laughed.

"If you ask me that is a good thing. You look so healthy and your skin glows so beautifully. Your body is lean. And my son. I almost didn't recognize him. He is a bit dark but his skin is so smooth and his muscles are lean. Marco is even taller than me now," Mrs. Diaz's eyes watered a bit.

"Yeah… he looks amazing," Star sighed a bit while her heart began to race. Mrs. Diaz saw a heavenly look on Star's face.

"You're in love with him, aren't you?" Mrs. Diaz's question made Star jump, splashing water everywhere.

"Mrs. Diaz!"

"It's ok! Don't get nervous."

"He's my best friend!"

"So was Raphael and I," Mrs. Diaz smiled as Star tried to cover her blushing face. "Maybe you can't see it yet, but a mother always knows. I can see it when he says something about you. You just… light up," Mrs. Diaz smiled.

"Because it is embarrassing!" Star tried to cover up.

"That is a beautiful sword he has. Who got it for him?" Mrs. Diaz raised an eyebrow as if she already knew the answer.

"… me…," Star said quietly as she sat on a stool, still covering her face. Mrs. Diaz went to sit next to her and placed a hand on Star's shoulder.

"I am sorry Star. I didn't mean to embarrass you. I just call it as I see it. Hey, it isn't everyday my son runs off with a girl to help her out. And you seem to bring the best out of him. Who else would he run away from home for two years and start a life out in the country with. Yeah, he may have a crush on that Thomas girl, but he wouldn't do something like that for her," Star looked up at Mrs. Diaz who was smiling at her.

"I… I don't know how I feel… but," Star looked towards the stairs, waiting to see if Marco would come down the stairs.

"Don't worry dear. Twas just a thought," Mrs. Diaz rubbed Star's shoulder before she got up. Star looked up at her. "Come on. Time for bed. It's getting late and I will not have you two wandering around at night."

"We are staying the night?" Star asked.

"Of course, you are. You two have been gone for too long. We got a lot of catching up to do before you guys leave again."

"Ok…" Star got up quietly as she followed Mrs. Diaz up the stairs.

* * *

Marco was in his parents room with his dad, lying Estrella in her crib by his parent's bed. Marco smiled at the sleeping girl when his dad walked up behind him and putting his hand on Marco's shoulder.

"It is good to have you here again, mijo," Mr. Diaz said humbly. Marco turned to his dad.

"Thanks dad," Marco hugged him.

"Your mother and I were afraid we were never going to see you again. The only thing we had gotten from you was a letter but then here you are. Very healthy and very handsome," Mr. Diaz shook Marco by his shoulders. "Are you sure you won't consider coming back home? Estrella could use her older brother."

"I would love to dad, but Star needs me. Life wouldn't be the same if she left."

"She means that much to you?"

"She's part of our family now."

"Oh? So, did you two get married?" Mr. Diaz lifted an eyebrow.

"What?! No!"

"Ha ha! I am just messing with you," Mr. Diaz began to walk out of the bedroom. "I know you care about her. Truth be told, I would have done the same for your mother when I was your age.

"So… you're ok with this?"

"No. I think it was a terrible decision. Her parents are worried about her. But, I support your decision. My only question is, how long do you plan on hiding?" Mr. Diaz turned to Marco who was looking as if he was lost in thought.

"I will wait until she is ready," Marco finally said with a warm smile on his face. "Besides, I like my farm life right now. Star and I grow our own food. I plan on expanding our crops, even own a few cows and chickens," He said to avoid making his dad question their location. Cows and chickens were the closes related animals he could think of to compare the creatures of Mewni.

"Sounds like a married couple to me," Mr. Diaz said under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing," Mr. Diaz giggled. "So, are you dating anyone? If not Star, how about that Jackie girl you use to have a crush on?" Marco and his dad closed the door to the bedroom.

"No dating. I haven't had the time for that. And I don't know about Jackie. I haven't seen her for years and when I ran into her today… I felt an old spark. I don't know if I still like her or not."

"Well, I know she still likes you. When you were gone, she would show up at our door wondering if you had returned."

"Really?"

"Yep. But I don't want you to go running to her. This is something you should think about first. Get to know her, then decided whether you like her or not."

"Is that how it worked for you and mom?" Marco looked at his dad slyly. His dad just laughed.

"No. I had known your mom since I was in middle school. She was my best friend. I know everything about her and I fell in love with that," His dad smiled as Marco placed a pensive look on his face.

Marco stood at the door that led to his old room. He almost didn't want to go in because he feared his room would look different, or that it looked the same as the day he left it. His greatest fear was that he was going to enter his room and never want to come out. No matter what it looked like, it was his room and he fear he was never going to leave again. These thoughts raced through his head until he heard footsteps approaching him. He looked to his side to see a pair of big blue eyes watching him with much concern.

"Marco? Are you ok?" Star stood next to him. He smiled faintly as he turned to stare at his door knob again.

"Yeah… I was just thinking."

"Of what?"

"Whether it was a good idea to come back to this house," Marco's voice was becoming heavy.

"Maybe it wasn't a good idea to come back to Echo Creek, huh?" Now Star was staring down at her feet, doubting the decision they had made so far.

"I'm not sure. I never thought I could miss this place so much. And my parents haven't changed. They are the same loving and trusting people they have always been. The only difference was that they suffered with our disappearance."

"I'm so sorry Marco," Star began to breath heavy as tears began to pour from her eyes. Her knees grew weak with the weight of regret that build up in her. Marco turned to face her, now concerned for her again.

"No, Star. This isn't your fault," Marco wrapped his arms around her as she buried her face into his chest, crying heavily.

"Yes, it is. You ran away from here because of me. Your life was fine until I showed up. Your parents wouldn't miss you if you hadn't run off with me. My parents wouldn't be worried about me if I had just gone to St. O's. All fingers are pointing at me."

"I see no fingers, Star. And it isn't your fault. It is mine. You _were_ going to go to St. O's. You _were_ doing what your parents wanted you to do. But I was being selfish by convincing you to run away with me. I couldn't bare the thought of losing you. I still don't want you to leave. I will continue to run with you until we can both accept whatever the future holds," Marco brought Star's head to meet his gaze. Star stared into his eyes until she closed her eyes to wipe away a tear from her cheek with his hand. Marco smiled at her.

"How is it that you can make me feel better with a few words. I am convinced that you have me bewitched," She giggled softly as Marco chuckled in response.

"Maybe because we are mess up twins. Together, we can 'Star' anything up, but we can also fix everything else around us." Star exhaled happily. Mr. and Mrs. Diaz came up the stairs to the hall to find Marco and Star standing at the door way of Marco's room.

"Is everything alright?" Mr. Diaz asked. Star and Marco turned quickly to find his parents watching them.

"Yeah. We were just talking," Marco brought his arms to his side. His parents approached them.

"Well, ok. Star, let me take you to your room," Mrs. Diaz placed a hand on Star's shoulder as she walked with her.

"Kay. Goodnight Marco," Star turned to him.

"Goodnight Star," Marco replied. He inhaled deeply again and opened the door to his room. He looked around and sighed in relief. He really didn't know what to expect but his room was exactly the way he left it when he ran away. With that, he felt a bit ridiculous with the power he was trying to give his room over whether he should he stay or go. He smiled as he climbed into his old bed again as he let the familiar setting whisk him away into a land of slumber.

* * *

Midnight rolled in and all was silent in the Diaz home. The residents slept peacefully in their bed, all except one. Star stared into her bed's canopy, thinking about the people they had left behind. She began to doubt the decision of running away. The more she thought about it the worst she felt. Marco's warm persuading words proved only to be helpful for a little while. Unfortunately, the only person who can ease her troubled mind was sleeping peacefully in his room. Yes, he could ease her for a while, but it was helpful enough. Star sighed heavily as she rose slowly out of her bed. She made her way to her door and opened it slowly to avoid making any noise. She crept along the side of the wall of the hallway till she could grasp the door knob to Marco's room. Then, the door knob turned slowly on its own. The surprise made Star squeal.

"Star?" Marco jumped a bit to find her standing outside of his door. What are you doing up?"

"I… uh… couldn't sleep. What are you doing?"

"I was going to get a glass of water."

"Oh, cool… cool."

"Something is bothering you, isn't it?" More of a rhetorical question.

"Pfft, no of course…. Yeah. Too much on my mind," Star hung her arms at her failed attempt of 'playing it off.' Marco looked down the hall and grabbed Star by her wrist.

"Come on," Marco pulled her to her to her room. They walked up to her second floor's balcony and jumped over the edge so they could get onto the roof. Marco led her to the center of the roof and sat down with Star sitting next to him as he stared up into the night's sky. "It's been a while since we got to sit up here like this," Marco inhaled as he embraced the crisp night air.

"Yeah. I mean, we could do this on Mewni, but it seems to feel more… special here," Star smiled at Marco.

"That's because we use to do this together here on Earth," Marco nudged her with his shoulder. He didn't notice her cheeks turning red. "Well that, and it doesn't ever get that dark on Mewni. We seem to have more stars out at night here on Earth," Marco chuckled. He then became serious. "Listen Star. I know what you are thinking about. I don't want you to regret our decision."

"How do you know what I am thinking?"

"Because it is the same thing that has been eating at you since we have left. That, and I feel your concerns," Marco stared up to the moon where he could see a red glow to it. Something that Star didn't see herself. "I am not gonna lie. What we did was kind of childish, running away. But you know what? We are having fun doing this. Yeah, life has been hard the last two years but we did it together. I don't want you to go off and run into duty if you're not ready."

"But I am royalty. It's kind of my job. You know, it is the rules, rule boy," Star laughed as she leaned into him. Marco laughed in response.

"Weren't you the one to say why follow the rules if it gets in the way of the fun?"

"Yeah. I guess I did," Star and Marco shared a good laugh.

"But it still wasn't fair of your parents to make a decision like that without considering your feelings. They love you but they can't force you to do anything."

"They're my parents. And their royalty too. I am supposed to do what is asked of me."

"You are also a person. You have your own feelings and thoughts. We were all created with the greatest gift of all; the power of choice." Star looked at Marco. Her eyes were wide with amazement. The warmth threatened to take control of her body. Marco had a point, but again she was royalty. The power of choice was never truly granted to her.

"I wish I was born a normal human being," Star looked down at her feet.

"I wouldn't. You are amazing for who you are. I wouldn't change a thing." Star put a small smile on her face. "Hey, my parents don't like all the choices I make but they are happy that I stick to my decisions with confidence."

"Yeah…" Star enjoyed the thought of choice. Maybe there was a way for her to choose her life the way she wanted. Her attention was adverted when she saw a stream of light shooting across the night sky. Panic began to course through her body. "Marco! Look!" Star pointed. Marco looked up and began to laugh.

"That's a shooting star."

"It is an act of war! Echo Creek is in danger!" Star jumped to her feet.

"What? No! Sit down," Marco chuckled as he pulled her down by her arm to sit back down next to him. "Act of war?"

"On Mewni a fleeting star meant a kingdom was under attack or going to be attacked. That is an act of war," Star pointed nervously as another shooting star flew by. She flinched at the sight of it.

"Well that is not what it means on Earth."

"So… does it mean someone is trying to shoot _**me**_?!" Star began to panic again.

"No!" Marco place another hand on her shoulder to try and calm her. "Let me explain. Here on Earth, we get debris caught in our atmosphere. This debris could be anything; space rocks, piece of satellites, even trash that gets lost in space. Gravity pulls that debris down to Earth where it catches fire from the speed from which it comes down from."

"So…. it's just… garbage?"

"Uh, yes and no. But it is nothing to worry about. The people of Earth do have a belief about it though. It is said that if you see a shooting star you can make a wish."

"Wish on a shooting star?"

"Yeah. If you wish on a shooting star then you wish will come true," Marco looked at Star who stared into the night sky with wonder.

"Is that true?"

"I don't know. You just have to make a wish and find out for yourself," Marco played with her. "When you see it, close your eyes and make a wish." At that moment, a shooting star scurried through the sky causing Star to gasp. She closed her eyes and mouthed her words. Marco smiled as she did. "So, what did you wish for?"

"I'm not going to tell you, Marco Diaz," Star teased him. "We will just have to wait and see if it comes true."

"Whatever you say," Marco chuckled.

"Thank you for doing this with me," Star lay her head on his shoulder. Marco began to turn red.

"Anything for you Star," Marco said quietly. The two would stay out on the roof for a while longer until they found themselves drowsy and ready for bed.

* * *

The following morning arrived early for Marco Diaz a he spent time in the kitchen, wanting to cook his family some breakfast. Star was in the living room playing with Estrella while Mr. and Mrs. Diaz slept a little longer. Star was floating dolls around Estrella with her wand, making cooing sounds at the laughing, happy little girl

"Oh, Estrella. You are so adorable," Star put her wand down to pick up the baby girl and hugged her close to her cheeks. Star put her back down to watch the baby crawl around the floor.

"You guys alright over there?" Marco called from the kitchen.

"Yes, we are worry-pants!" Star yelled from the living room. Her cheeks sent bubbles in the shape of hearts flying about as the little girl rolled on her back trying to get her foot in her mouth. "Babies are so adorable…" Star gasped lovingly. Star jumped to her feet as she heard a knock at the front door. "Uh, Marco. Are you expecting visitors?"

"No! Why?"

"Because there is someone knocking at the door!" Marco came to the living room to stand next to Star. They exchanged glances as they made their way to the door. Star held Estrella.

"Who is it?" Marco called from inside.

"It's Tom!" A voice came from the other side, mildly annoyed. Marco and Star Sighed. Marco opened the door to find that Tom hadn't come alone. Behind him stood the gang; Jackie, Janna, Ferguson and Alfonso.

"Guys!" Marco exclaimed happily.

"I tried to lose them but they followed me here," Tom walked past Marco and Star to sit on the couch.

"What are you doing here?" Star jumped next to Marco. Marco motioned for everyone to enter.

"We wanted to see if you wanted to hang out today. You know, go to the mall and chill," Jackie and Janna hugged Star as they entered. Then Jackie turned to Marco and smiled.

"Also, we wanted to see if you made us breakfast yet," Ferguson pushed his way to Marco.

"Yeah you two. I am really hungry," Tom called from the couch. Star scoffed at him.

"Then you should have gone home and make yourself something!" Star barked at him. Tom was picking his ear with his pinky, acting like he didn't hear her.

"Well, I can always make more food. But let me talk to my parents. I would hate to leave them and not spend any time with my family," Marco led everyone to the dining room table to get everyone to sit so he can make more food.

* * *

Mrs. Diaz and Star were clearing the table after breakfast while everyone moved over to the living room. Mr. Diaz was holding Estrella, sitting on the couch with the girls while the boys sat on the floor around the coffee table.

"So, your friends want to go to the mall today?" Mr. Diaz turned to Marco.

"Yeah, but I wanted to check in with you and mom first," Marco replied.

"Yeah Mr. D. We know it has been a long time since you've seen them, so Marco thought he should ask before he took off," Jackie added.

"I think it is a great idea!" Mrs. Diaz yelled from the kitchen. Marco looked up in surprise.

"Why not? Marco and Star have plenty of people who love them. It wouldn't be fair to have them all to ourselves," Mr. Diaz handed Estrella a rattle.

"Really dad?"

"Of course, mijo. Just be back before dinner. We will have whatever you want."

"Thanks dad."

"Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Diaz!" Jackie and Janna jumped in joy.

"Yeah!" Alfonso and Ferguson threw their arms up in the air.

"Plus, you can bring us stuff on our shopping list!" Mrs. Diaz came from the kitchen and handed Marco a list. "That way your father and I can relax today." The baby blew raspberries in response. "Well, you know. More or less."

"Fair enough," Marco laughed as he stood up. "Alrighty then. Let's get going!"

"Yeah!" They all jumped as Star ran out of the kitchen and jumped up and wrapped an arm around Marco's shoulders. Jackie watched as Marco and Star laughed and felt a bit shocked. She shook it off and the gang made their way out the door. Even Tom was joining them on their gathering.

* * *

The group made it to the mall and began to navigate through the building.

"Hey girls, what do you say if we go try on some new clothes," Jackie suggested.

"I don't know. That's not really my thing. And when did you become interested in clothing?" Janna shrugged. Jackie laughed. Star's eyes beamed at the idea.

"It's just time for some fresh threads is all," Jackie smiled.

"Aw, come on Janna. I think even you get bored wearing the same thing all the time," Star pleaded.

"I just…"

"What, you scared?" Tom butted in with an eyebrow lifted at her. Janna turned to him.

"Please. I would take a salmon from a hungry bear and eat it in front of him. I ain't scared of anything," Janna tiptoed to stare Tom in the eyes. "Sorry. I don't know which eyes I am supposed to stare in," Janna replanted her feet.

"Whichever is easier," Tom replied nonchalantly. "Sounds like you are scared to me," Tom continued to taunt. Janna scoffed in response.

"Fine! Let's just get this over and done with," Janna walked off. Star squealed in joy.

"Thanks, Tom," Star said as she and Jackie chased after Janna. Marco walked up next to him.

"Score one Tom," Marco chuckled.

"Meh. She just needed a little push."

"What do we do first!" Alfonso and Ferguson walked up to them. Marco looked around the mall, then he smiled.

"Dude. I haven't played a game in years. Let's go to the arcade."

"Yeah!" Alfonso and Ferguson jumped in joy.

"Ok. That doesn't sound lame," Tom smiled as the boys headed to the arcade.

* * *

Star, Janna, and Jackie were going through the clothes to find something to try on. Janna wasn't enthusiastic, but Star and Jackie were excited. Jackie did look for clothes that matched her 'kick-back-and-relax' and 'boarder' style while Star went through anything. Janna sighed.

"You know guys, I really don't like anything here," Janna whined trying to be difficult.

"Oh, come on Janna. You're just being difficult," Jackie called out. Star jumped up from the middle of the clothing circle Janna was searching through. This made Janna jump up in surprise.

"Awe, look at this pretty dress. It's even in your favorite colors," Star cooed as she held up a pink dress in front of Janna.

"You don't have to tell everyone about that!" Janna yelled. "And that dress is horrendous!"

"Well you gotta find something you like. Geez, you're almost as bad as Marco when it comes to shopping," Star ducked back down into the clothes again. Janna sighed as she rolled her eyes. She stopped to look at a onesie dress with black and pink stripes. She raised an eyebrow at it. She didn't notice when Star popped up behind her. "That's cute!"

"Star!" Janna jumped.

"Try it on! You will look great in it!" Star pulled it off the rack and dragged Janna to the fitting rooms.

"Wait Star. I don't know about-," Star shoved Janna into a room. Jackie walked up to Star.

"Looks like you got her," Jackie applauded. "Girl, I am going to try this on," Jackie took a fitting room next to Janna's.

"Mamma gonna try this one on," Star lifted an outfit to herself. Star took a dressing room next to Jackie's.

"Guys, I don't know about this," Janna sounded annoyed.

"Don't be a party pooper, Janna," Star yelled.

"Come on, Janna. You are gonna rock the guys' world," Jackie tried to persuade her. "Man, I sure do hope Marco likes this," Jackie had to add. Then Janna and Jackie her a loud thud from Star's room. "You ok Star?"

"Yeah! I fell on my head but I am good!" Star yelled out.

"Ok. Say Star. I am kinda embarrassed to ask this, but…does Marco still have a crush on me?"

"Uh… I'm not sure. He has never really said anything. Why do you ask?"

"Well…"

"Jackie has a crush on him," Janna interrupted.

"What!?" Star jumped.

"Heh… yeah. It's kinda funny. When he asked me out that one day but called me to bail out that same night, I felt like I was missing out. Like we didn't get the chance to see if we were a good fit, you know?"

"Oh…," Star sat on the bench in her dressing room. She held her chest as a pain began to form. She was quiet for a moment.

"Uh, Star? You still there?"

"Yeah! Yeah. Almost done," Star wiped her eyes for they were getting ready to tear up. Janna was the first to come out with a bit of a sour look on her face. She then saw a black beanie with a white skull on the side. She took it and placed it on her head and smiled.

"That feels better," Janna told herself as Jackie came out of her dressing room.

"Nice," Jackie complemented as she walked around Janna. Janna wore the pink and black striped dress with a white skull at the chest with a black, elbow length jacket. The dress went to just above the knees. She also wore black boots that came half ways up her shin. "Girl, that is a good look for you."

"At least it still feels like me," Janna commented. "Looks like you stuck to _**you**_ as well," Janna smirked as she admired Jackie's outfit. Jackie wore a teal blue, elbow length shirt with a brown trim around the neck, sleeves, and bottom of the shirt with a wide brown belt that went around her waist. She wore a pain of blue jeans that had a brown strip running down her sides and a pair of brown boot like shoes. She wore her traditional shell around her neck and a set of wood beans on her wrist to go with her color scheme.

"You think? I was going for something versatile yet elegant," Jackie posed at a mirror.

"It works because you already look good," Janna pointed both of her fingers at Janna. They looked back at the sound of a door opening. Their eyes lit up when they saw Star.

"So, what do you think?"

* * *

The boys were sitting in a racing game with Marco and Ferguson sitting next to each other and Tom sitting next to Alfonso across from the other two. They were laughing as they passed each other up, crashing into objects or other races or even wine someone yelled something childish. Never before did Tom think he could have fun with normal guys.

"Oh! Guess who is taking first place!" Marco began to cheer.

"Thanks for warming my spot!" Tom yelled back as he hit the NOS button, sending his car speeding by Marco's.

"What!"

"And Alfonso is in the lead!" Alfonso yelled as he followed in Tom's footsteps and sped by Tom's car.

"What the!" Tom yelled.

"Sharp turn!" Ferguson yelled as they sped by a cliff, drifting the cars along the road. Everyone but Alfonso, who was going too fast to control his car. Alfonso's car shot over the cliff and crashed in the rocks below.

"No!" Alfonso slapped his hands to his cheeks.

"And Ferguson takes the cup!" Ferguson jumped from the driver's seat to celebrate.

"What!" Tom and Marco yelled as they watched Ferguson celebrate by doing a very chubby belly dance.

"Darn I was so close," Marco pouted.

"The only thing you were close to was coming in at 2nd place; right behind me," Tom taunted Marco with a devilish smirk.

"Is that so? Then let's move on to a new game." Marco pointed as he challenged Tom.

"You're on Marco Diaz!" Tom got up. He and Marco ran off to a new game. They met up at a first-person shooter game. They were shooting aliens left and right, tallying scores to prove who was the better shot. It looked as if Marco had the match in the bag until he was approached by Jackie, who leaned against the game in front of him.

"Jackie!" Marco jumped. Then he heard an explosion. He looked to the game to find his character had been killed and Tom jumping up and down in victory.

"In your face!"

"That doesn't count, Tom! I was distracted!"

"Life is full of distractions. Doesn't mean you should look. Especially when it costs you the match," Tom flicked Marco in the forehead. Marco winced at the sting, then growled at him. Jackie just giggled.

"Anyways. Jackie, that outfit looks great on you," Marco turned to compliment her.

"You really think so?" Jackie smiled.

"Yeah," Marco smiled back. Janna walked up next to Jackie, looking a bit less amused. "Janna, that's a good look."

"Don't be a kiss up. I was forced to do this," Janna pouted as Tom walked up next to her.

"Dark yet still feminine. Marco's right. That is a good look for you," Tom complimented. Janna turned her head away in annoyance and to hid a blush that came across her face.

"Where's Star?" Marco asked.

"She was going to get us some drinks. She should be back any minute," Jackie replied as she noticed that Marco was locked in a stare. Jackie turned to see what it could be but smiled when she saw Star approaching them with two cup holders.

"Sorry to keep everyone waiting," Star smiled. Marco approached her slowly until he stood in front of her. "Marco… what are you doing," Star took a step back, feeling her breath being taken away and her face getting hot.

"Star… you look amazing," Marco said softly. Star turned bright red. Star wore a jean jacket over a salmon colored tank top. The tank top was ruffled a bit at the bottom. It sat above a ruffled beige skirt with a brown, suede strip that ran on either side of her leg; where they met the pockets. She still wore her farmer boots to go with the strip but she wore the same salmon colored socks. To compliment the look, she wore a circle scarf around her neck; the same color as her skirt. What he couldn't see was that she still wore the necklace he made her under the scarf. She let her hair down, like she did years ago. Due to having her hair up so often, her hair had picked up a wave effect that was so much more apparent when she let her hair down.

"Thank you… glad… glad you liked it," Star got lost in his eyes. "But… the scarf covers your necklace…," Star tilted her head down a bit.

"It's ok. It means a lot that you are still wearing it," Marco smiled warmly. Their gazes remained fixed.

"What are you guys staring at?" Ferguson asked as he and Alfonso stared up at the two suspiciously. This caused Star and Marco to jump backwards.

"Nothing!" Star and Marco both yelled. They looked at each other again. "Uh…" They both said. "Stop that!" They both yelled at each other as they found they were repeating each other again. Janna walked up to Star and took the drinks from her.

"Thanks Star!" Janna smiled as she handed the others their drinks. "But I think it is time for a snack. Who's down for going to the food court?"

"I say I am already there!" Ferguson yelled as he ran out of the arcade.

"Come on Marco!" Jackie grabbed Marco by the wrist and pulled him along. Star just watched as he walked out with Jackie. Janna wrapped her arm around Star's arm, snapping her out of her daze. Star returned with a smile and walked out with Janna, leaving Tom and Alfonso to follow behind.

* * *

The group sat at a table in the food court eating burgers and fries with Star and Marco getting ready to burst into tears.

"Aw man, I missed having an old fashion burger," Marco ate heavenly.

"Every bite is the birth of a new miracle," Star had tears running down her face. "With a side of fries…oh. I's in heaven."

"What did you guys eat when you were gone?" Jackie asked.

"Well, I grew food. So, we usually have fresh vegetable. Or Star and I would take turns hunting," Marco explained.

"I like to pick berries and wild fruit. I was also learning how to bake," Star jumped in.

"So, everything was from the wild? Then you guys made meals with your own tow hands?" Alfonso was shoving fries into his mouth.

"Exactly!" Star and Marco said together.

"And all this without magic?" Janna asked.

"Yeah," Star replied as she pulled out her wand. Marco looked at it.

"Are you sure it is safe to use it? I know you said that you and Glossaryck fixed it but it looks as though it is still acting crummy," Marco looked up at Star.

"I am beginning to wander that myself," Star lifted it up and spun it. A rainbow formed above their table. "Hm. Seems fine to me!" Star smiled happily at Marco. Marco just shook his head. "Come on Marco. What could possibly happen?" Star waved her wand again and, unbeknownst to her, the wand's star turned green again. A loud cackling was heard as a green beam shot out form Star's wand. The gang jumped in fear as the green beam hit their food.

"Star!" Marco began to yell as the fries and burgers began to grow legs, red eyes and teeth. The little creatures began to yell incoherently as they ran off the table.

"Where are they going!?" Alfonso yelled.

"Star, we gotta do something!" Marco got up.

"I got this," Tom cracked his knuckles as he began to shoot fireballs at the creatures who were scurrying about. Some of the fries blew up while a few managed to jump into the trash can. Suddenly, the trash can began to shake. The fry monsters jumped out of the trash can and much longer this time, standing about 2 feet tall. Screams came from another table while Jackie and Star watched as a burger monster ate another person's lunch, causing it to swell up.

"Okay, I am getting my sword," Marco pulled out the dimensional scissors and jumped through the portal.

"Narwhal Blast!" Star began to shoot Narwhals at the burger monsters. Tom continued to shoot fireballs at the monsters as they dipped, rolled, and dodged the best they could while gorging themselves on whatever food they can find. The burger monsters ran across the food court with Star chasing them. Three of them jumped over a counter where a screaming clerk abandoned her cash register. "Cupcake Blast!" Star shot cupcakes at one of the burger monsters who failed to clear the distance to the counter. It got buried under a pile of cupcakes. "Yes!" Star threw her arms up in victory. Then the pile began to shrink as the burger monster opened its wide maw to swallow the cupcakes whole. "I made a terrible mistake," Star whispered to herself. The cupcakes made the burger monster stand taller than her. It's dark sesame eyes turned to her and gave her a massive roar. Lettuce, onion, and pickles flew out and his Star in the face with pickles the size of her face. "Hey! I just bought this outfit! Heart Attack Blast!" Hearts shot out from her wand like arrows, causing the creature to block its face and run from her.

"Star! I need help!" Tom yelled from the other side of the food court where 8 of the fry monsters were growing taller than him.

"I go my own problems here!" Star yelled back as the three burger monsters burst through the counter, now a bit bigger then the 4th burger monster. Tom used his demon force to throw tables and chairs at the fry monsters. They continued to avoid his attacks. Star continued to shoot beams of rainbows form her wand as the burger monsters tried to advance on her. One of the burger monsters was able to make a break for Star. It flung itself at her with its maw open widely. Star yelled as she went to duck. Midflight, Marco appeared in front of the monster and sliced it in half with an upward swing with his sword. The monster exploded into chunks of meat and condiments. Star looked up and saw Marco in a battle stance. "Marco!" Star jumped up in joy.

"What happened? The got so much bigger!"

"Isn't obvious, Diaz!? We've been feeding them!" Tom yelled sarcastically.

"Well it looks like you have feeding them too much. Let's cut down on their portions from now on," Marco smiled as he held his sword up to another monster.

"Seriously dude? Now you are doing one liners?" Janna scoffed.

"I thought it was pretty good," Jackie complimented when she saw the sour look on Marco's face. The monsters look at each other and stared to run towards one another, toward the back of the food court. The fry monsters in raveled themselves in pairs and began to grow roots and lose their yellow, crispy color. The three remaining burger monsters stacked on each other with the top burger beginning to swell. All three burgers began to decay and take a grayish color with mold growing on the bun portions. The fries rooted themselves to the burger to imitate arms and legs. The roots grew larger to imitate massive fingers. The head burger began to open its maw to reveal long, pointed teeth. The burger monster turned to the group and gave them a massive roar as it continued to grow until it grew to about 30 feet tall. The smell of the breath was putrid; it stunk of rotting food with fluids spraying across the food court. Half of the group began to cough and gas at the smell.

"Told you fast food was bad for you," Marco leaned in to joke with Star.

"Ok. That was a good one," Star laughed. "Just like old times, eh Marco?" Star go her wand at the ready while Marco placed himself into a battle stance.

"Oh yeah," Marco replied.

"Don't forget about me," Tom stood next to Star as well. The trio smiled at each other while the other four watched from a table that was knocked over to provide cover. The monster swiped its massive arm, sending tables and chairs flying at them. Tom raise his arms up and created a wall of fire that shielded them from the attack. Marco sprinted to the left while star ran to the right.

"Narwhal Blast!" Star shot Narwhals at the monster who turned to her to shield its face from the attack. It didn't notice Marco coming from the other side. Marco swung with his sword to use the wind resistance to create a hole through the wall of fire. He dashed through the hole and used the forward momentum to slice through one of its legs. The creature fell sideways because of the attack. It caught itself with its left arm. Star ran straight at the monster, swinging her wand to her front. "Neon Leech Bomb!" Star shot glowing leeches at the arm that was holding up the creature. The leeches attached themselves to the arm for a few seconds before self-destructing. Without any time to react, the leeches exploded causing the creature to finish its downward descent. A massive arm swung up to try and smash Marco into the ground but it was blown off by a massive stream of fire.

"Finish it off Star!" Marco yelled. Star waver her wand rhythmically before she attacked.

"Warnicorn Stampede!" A massive beam of light exploded behind he stamped of warnicorns shot from the light. The monster didn't have a chance to retaliate as it got trampled by the warnicorns until it exploded into chunks of rotted meat and goo. "Oh man! I'm gonna be sick," Star held her mouth and stomach to try and avoid vomiting. Marco pulled his shirt over his nose while Tom watched nonchalantly.

"Meh. I've smelt worst," Tom said. Jackie, Janna, Ferguson, and Alfonso ran up to the trio.

"You guys were awesome!" Ferguson jumped up.

"Those were some sweet movers, Marco," Jackie punched Marco on the arms. Marco chuckled with a hint of blush. Star watched with abated breath.

"I like how he burnt everything," Alfonso pointed at Tom.

"That was pretty epic," Janna smiled as she stood next to Tom. Tom smirked at her.

"We defeated the monster but there is still a big mess leftover," Marco scratched the back of his head.

"Good point, Marco. Let's skedaddle before the cops arrive," Star moved her fingers to imitate running.

"I second that opinion," Tom began to walk away.

"For once, I'm with you guys," Marco said as they all sped walked out of the food court. "Actually, I have one more stop I want to make before we go back to my parents," Marco said as they exited the mall.

* * *

The group stood outside of the Diaz's home carrying groceries and miscellaneous items. Star and Marco sat everything on the porch before they turned and rejoin their friends.

"Alright guys. Thanks for giving up a hand," Marco smiled at them. Alfonso and Ferguson stood next to him.

"Dude, the pleasure is ours. It's not every day when a good friend disappears and returns on a whim," Ferguson laughed happily.

"Yeah. It is good to have you back," Alfonso patted Marco on the shoulder.

"That is, of course, you plan on staying," Jackie added. Marco hung his head and, in reaction, Star looked up at him.

"You guys are staying, right?" Janna asked. Marco was still silent.

"Marco…," Star said softly to him.

"Sorry guys, but we aren't staying," Marco finally said. Star's eyes widened.

"What?" The group gasped.

"May sound crazy to you guys, maybe even ridiculous, but everyone is safer with us," Marco looked up at his friends.

"You can't leave again," Jackie looked up at Marco.

"Yeah. We finally have the gang together again and you're just going to bail on us again?" Ferguson added.

"Maybe we shouldn't go, Marco," Star put her hand on his shoulder. He smiled at her.

"Do you really think you are ready to fulfill your 'birth right' and prepare to rule a kingdom?"

"No… but I don't want to this if it means that everyone loses you again," Star looked at her feet.

"If you leave then everything will be lost. I would be lost," Marco put a hand to her face. Her eyes were wide as heat and blush filled her cheeks. Everyone watched and Jackie felt her breath becoming heavy watching how Marco acted with Star. Star smiled softly as Marco returned it with his own smile.

"I… I guess this is goodbye?" Jackie shrugged her shoulders innocently with a lot of sorrow.

"Don't go!" Alfonso and Ferguson jumped at Marco's legs like children as they cried into Marco's jeans.

"Guys! Cut it out!" Marco yelled. Janna approached Star.

"Meh, do what you gotta do," Janna shrugged as she hugged Star. Marco finally pried his friends from his legs.

"Come on! It's not like this is going to be the last time we get to see each other. We will be back to visit before you know it," Marco patted himself off.

"Promise?" Jackie walked up to Marco.

"Promise," Marco looked down at her. Everyone finally said their good byes before Star and Marco got ready to go inside. Tom and Janna stood outside as well as Star went inside.

"So, you are going with them?" Janna looked up at Tom.

"Kinda have to. I am their ride home. You know…'under the radar' like," Tom waved his arms. Janna chuckled.

"Too bad. We really didn't get to hang. You are one of the few people who seems to get me,' Janna looked away. Tom laughed.

"Well you were kinda cool too," Tom scratched the back of his head. He didn't see the blush coming across Janna's face.

"You're turning red, Janna!" Jackie yelled at her.

"Butt out!" Janna jumped nervously with Tom laughing. Jackie laughed as she turned to Marco.

"Do you really have to go? There is still so much we don't know about each other. I feel like we never got that chance," Jackie tapped her foot on the ground as her nerves began to build up. Marco was turning red until he cleared his throat.

"I got to. Star's my best friend. I would do anything for her," Marco replied. Jackie looked down. "But like I said, I will be back. Before you know it." Jackie tiptoed and kissed Marco on the cheek. For a moment, everything froze. His thoughts swam wildly as the girl of his dreams kissed him on the cheek. _**This couldn't be happening, this was all just a dream**_ , he thought. Joy ran through every vein in his body until everything disappeared around him and everything went red. All he could see was a blond girl watching him with tears in his eyes. And then there was nothing. Marco stared blankly ahead as all the joy was ripped from his body and replaced with guilt. He finally snapped out of it. Tom looked to see what had happened. All he saw was a girl trying to clear up a longing for someone and a boy who was plagued with confusion. Jackie planted her feet again as she looked at his chest.

"Just… hurry back," Was all Jackie said as she stepped away from him.

"Yeah," Marco barely forced himself to say as he turned to see the two girls walk away and a demon who shook his head disapprovingly. "What?" Marco grew annoyed.

"You have some serious issues, my friend," Tom stood next to him as he watched the girls leave as well.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, yeah you do. If star saw that-,"

"Don't tell Star anything," Marco quickly said, a bit frustrated.

"I am not going to say anything. You will eventually. All I am going to do is watch how it all plays out," Tom walked into the house to leave Marco alone with his thoughts.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to leave?" Mr. Diaz stood with his son in his room.

"Yeah dad. Star isn't ready to do what her parents want her to do. And I am not ready to give up my best friend," Marco packed a few extra clothing that he had bought at the mall.

"Mijo, it's funny to see you such a childish act but, somehow, become a man from all of this," Mr. Diaz put an arm around Marco.

"Thanks dad."

"Oh. What is this?" Mr. Diaz picked up a good-sized box.

"It's a radio. I thought it would be nice to hear some music while I work on the farm. Its hand cranked so it will generate its own power. It ever has a CD player," Marco said proudly with his discovery.

"Must have been expensive," Mr. Diaz looked at Marco.

"It wasn't too bad. Star and I had some extra cash so I thought why not.'

"I see. In that case I will give you some of my old CDs!" Mr. Diaz ran out Marco's room gleefully.

* * *

Mrs. Diaz was in Star's room with Estrella. Mrs. Diaz was helping Star get a few things together.

"I really wish you guys could stay," Mrs. Diaz told Star.

"I do too Mrs. Diaz, but it wouldn't be safe you guys. Something is going on with my wand again and I don't know how to fix it. So, until then, I won't be doing any magic," Star explained.

"I suppose. Still, it was fun having you two here again."

"I had fun too," Star turned to Mrs. Diaz and gave her a hug.

"Well, before you two leave, I will fix some dinner."

"Thanks."

"Oh, and one more thing, Star," Star looked at Mrs. Diaz. "At least let your parents know that you're ok." Mrs. Diaz smiled as she walked out. Star stared off into space, thinking of what Mrs. Diaz said. Marco had walked into her room to find Star in a daze.

"Star? Hey Star? Earth to Star. Come in Star," Marco's tone of voice increased until Star finally snapped out of it. "You ok?"

"Yeah, totally, totally," Star sputtered. Star looked to her mirror and sighed. "Actually… there is something I gotta do. Will you help me?" Star looked up at Marco with distressed eyes.

"Of course, Star," Marco replied. Star turned to the mirror and walked up to it. Marco stood behind her. Star's breathing became shaky, her head filled with doubt. A cold sweat formed on her skin as she stared into the mirror. That was until Marco placed a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes grew wide as she looked up to see his smiling face. Star inhaled sharply and exhaled slowly.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall… record video message," Star said as the mirror repeated her command.

* * *

The Diaz's have finished dinner and the evening had come to its close as the Diaz family, Star, and Tom stood outside holding each other in goodbye. The family embraced each other in a group hug.

"You sure you won't consider staying?" Mrs. Diaz asked as they let each other go.

"Yeah, we are sure mom. I want to see this out to the end," Marco smiled at her.

"Ay, mijo. I never thought you would be flying the nest so early in your life," Mr. Diaz wiped a tear from his eyes. "But you are doing an amazing job at it. We don't always agree with you, children, but I couldn't be more proud of your success," Mr. Diaz placed a hand on Star and Marco's shoulder as tears ran down Star's face.

"I am sorry for everything, Mr. and Mrs. Diaz," Star apologized.

"Nonsense, dear. Just know you two are ok and thriving is good enough for me," Mrs. Diaz wiped away the tears from Star's face. Marco sighed a bit relieved. Tom approached from behind them.

"What did I miss?" Tom asked.

"Nothing. Just saying goodbye."

"Ok." Marco turned to his parents one last time.

"Well, mom. Dad. We are going," Marco said softly. Star stood next to Marco carrying a few bags while Marco picked up a few of his own.

"Bye son," Mrs. Diaz got watery eyed.

"Bye Mr. and Mrs. Diaz," Star waved.

"Please don't wait another 2 years to come see us again," Mr. Diaz joked.

"Of course, not dad," Marco laughed. With a few exchanges of byes, the trio stood away from Marco's parents.

"Marco, we have to come back soon," Star leaned her head against his shoulder.

"I couldn't agree with you more," Marco replied.

"I say give it a few weeks," Tom added. "Ready?" Marco and Star nodded their head. Tom raised his arms up and said an incantation and they were engulfed in fire until they disappeared. Mr. and Mrs. Diaz smiled.

"They are crazy for each other," Mrs. Diaz looked up at her husband.

"Oh yeah," Mr. Diaz winked.

* * *

In a dark loamy cave ran many rats, carrying corn and being ordered by monsters. Further down this cave lay a door that led to a room were a green light was shining around the doorway. Inside this room jumped an evil looking bird monster who grinned hideously a she held a skeletal hand, holding a rock with half a star to his face.

"She's back. Can you feel her power too?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey everyone! Sorry it has been so long since I posted. I had got caught up with work and then I got myself a PS4 and I have been playing the crap out of Gravity Rush 2. Then I got Infamous: Second Son. And to top it all off, I am not a fast typer. But i have not forgotten my story. I have a chapter ready to be typed and one that is almost done. I am aiming to have the next chapter done in two weeks. Hopefully I will be able to type quick enough. This chapter is a bit of a fluff chapter in the means that i am not completely focused on the loveable trio. Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated, here is Chapter 8**

* * *

Chapter 8: Family and Foe Knows

A goblet dropped upon a stone floor, echoing out of their room and running down the halls. The contents of said goblet now flowing upon the cool stone while some of the liquid bounced onto a blue dress. Panting grew ever louder as a gem on the grand mirror blinked. The name that ran across the reflective surface nearly caused the Queen to fall backwards into a faint. The King, who lost his breathe, found it difficult to move in fear that this may be some kind of cruel trick. Both frozen in time in fear that they had merely slipped into the dreamscape that they miraculously shared, the Queen of Mewni made her move as if she was afraid that the mirror would get up on its own and run away like a deer running from a hunter. The King followed behind her slowly.

"Play message," The Queen said softly as she stared at the flashing name. The mirror then flashed and sitting in the image was a blonde girl and her Hispanic friend both looking significantly older to her parents, well seeing how they hadn't seen them for two years.

"Hello mother. Hello father," Star greeted with a soft but firm tone. Tears began to run down her parent's cheeks in the remembrance of their daughter's voice. Last they had had heard her, her voice was more high pitched and childish. After all this time, in the mirror sat this beautiful young woman that was curving into an adult with her slender built, long beautiful wavy hair, and soft delicate skin.

"River…" The Queen grabber her King's shoulders in fear that she was going to fall.

"My baby girl…," The King put a smile on his face while the tears soaked into his beard.

"Um… hi," Star's voice began to crack. "I … I know it has been a while but… I wanted to let you know I am alright. Marco has been taking good care of me. We are living happily in another dimension. We came to visit his hometown and ended up running into his parent in the process."

"We wanted to keep it low key but kind of stuck out like a sore thumb, heh-heh," Marco chuckled nervously.

"Marco, you're not helping," Star turned to him. Marco cleared his throat.

"Sorry."

"Anyways, I just wanted to let you know I'm ok. Things have been great. We eat, grow food… I learned to sow," Star chuckled lightly. "And… and I wanted to say I'm sorry. I know you must've gone through so much because of me. I almost couldn't do this because of what it may have done to you. But Marco was persistent about this."

"Don't tell them that," Marco hid behind Star.

"Well it's the truth."

"But I don't want your parents to blame me for everything."

"Marco…" Star rolled her eyes at him. "I guess it really isn't your fault either." Star smiled at him. "I wasn't ready for what you wanted." Star turned to face the mirror again. "I wasn't ready to leave everything, here, behind. You guys made a decision for me that, in the end, I was willing to run from. I am sorry for running away, but I am still not ready to come home yet."

"What!?" Both the King and Queen yelled.

"I just need… more time. I am not ready to be what the people need me to be. I am not ready to be what you need me to be. Marco and I are happy with our simple life right now. I am actually growing as a person. One day, I will be ready to assume my role and be what the world wants me to be. But until then, I won't be going home." Tears began to run down Star's face. "I just want you guys to know that… that I miss you and that I love you and we will be together again." Star struggled to say as the tears ran harder. Marco placed both hands on her shoulders to try and ease Star. She dried her eyes in response and placed a hand on one of Marco's hands. She smiled as she looked to the mirror again. "I won't tell you where we are but just know that I am happy and thriving. I hope you can forgive me. Well… I got to go now… Marco and I will be going home," Star placed a hand on her mouth and blew her parents a kiss. "Love you. Bye." Star said softly as the message ended. The King and Queen wiped their eyes vigorously of the tears that drenched their faces.

"Oh River. What have I done to our daughter?" The Queen turned to her King.

"My dear. I wish you would stop blaming yourself for this. I, too, agreed to send her to reform school. Star truly wasn't ready for this life," The King held his Queen's hands. "She is fine. Star and Marco looked as though they were doing good."

"Hm. Her skin did have a beautiful glow. She is looking more like a young woman and less like a child," The Queen smiled at the thought of her daughter.

"Did you see Marco as well? He has grown into a tall and handsome young man. They are obviously doing something right."

"And… and did she say she learned how to sow?" The Queen began to laugh.

"She did! Who knew my pumpkin would learn to care for herself? Sure, she has my fighting skills but everything else was given to her!" The King held his sides. The two grew silent as they reminisced of the thought of seeing their daughter again. With her best friend, Marco, the two lived out in the wilds, farmed, fed themselves, even clothed themselves with their own two hands. The Queen turned to her King.

"She is growing up… and without us," The Queen sounded disappointed.

"Moon, darling. This situation may have been for the best. Star is growing into a woman who is learning to care for herself and others. She will be ready to accept responsibility the day she returns to us."

"I don't know River. Maybe you are right about this, but…." The Queen turned her head away.

"Tut-tut. You already said I may be right!" The King gloated as The Queen glared at him.

"Don't rub it in, River."

"Oh darling, but this is too beautiful not to commemorate," The King jumped excitedly.

"Please don't tell me you are going to-,"

"Victory Dance!" The King began to dance around the room. The Queen rolled her eyes as she walked out of the room. She stopped to turn to the King.

"River?"

"Yes?" He stopped to watch his Queen.

"I would like to see the Diaz's tomorrow."

"Why would you want to do that?"

"They had seen our daughter. I… I would like to inquire about her. To see what they have thought about our children," The Queen tilted her head.

"Of course, Dear."

"Her birthday is coming up. Maybe we can wish her the best from the Diaz's. I doubt that she will come see us" The Queen walked out of the room.

"I'm afraid so," The King said as he walked out to the balcony to stare out into the night Mewnian sky.

* * *

Rats ran in and out of a cave with corn strapped to their backs. They ran to a room were the corn was being piled into a bucket. A loud cackling echoed from further down the cave. The rats would stop to listen to the twisted laughing and to stare at a glowing light coming from further down into the cave where a door stood with the green light pouring around the edges. Suddenly, the door was blown from its hinges and skidded across the cave floor where the sound echoed throughout the cave. In the doorway stood a little bird monster, standing a little over 3 foot tall. He had a balding spot on his head, his beak was dark that, when opened, housed sharp fanglike teeth. A beard sat below his beak and it was tied into a triple ponytail. To make his appearance even more ridiculous, he wore an empty bag of chips as his robe. He held a wand in the shape of a skeletal hand holding a rock with half a star at the center. Behind him stood a hawk and a giant spider.

"Did you hear that girls!" Ludo yelled in glee. "Star Butterfly is back!" He looked at the hawk and spider who watched him silently, mainly because they can't talk. A silence that began to annoy him. "Are you stupid! Didn't you hear me?! The girl is back!" Still nothing from his minions. Ludo walked away from them as he looked at his wand. The glow on the wand grew brightly. "What's that? You knew she has been back?" The want began to glow again and warbled. "Hm. So her magic is rusty? And you were able to taint her spells too? Then it is time we make a moved." Ludo turned to his minions until his wand began to glow again. "That's right. We need that book. I will send some rats to see what she has done with the book." Ludo walked into another room where a bunch of rats were eating or socializing as if they were on break. "Who told you to take a break!" Ludo yelled at the rats who jumped in fear and scurried about the cave floor. That was until Ludo raised his wand and shot green bolts of energy across the floor. "Listen up! I need two of you to go to Earth and spy on the home of Marco Diaz. I need to know what is going on there and whether we can get my hands on that book." The rats looked upon each other a bit confused. "What are you waiting for! Go!" Ludo waved his wand again and the rats ran, squeaking in fear as the green bolts of energy threaten to incinerate them. Something that has happened on numerous occasions. Ludo smiled viciously as they cleared the room. "Let's go girls. Papa needs his feathers fluffed. I am going to get dirty and I want to look my best," Ludo laughed as he waked back into his room and slammed the door in his minion's face. "What are you doing!" Get in here and groom me!"

* * *

Marco was standing in front of a few trees with his sword at the ready. He inhaled deeply and exhaled softly. With the end of his breath he drew his sword swiftly and gave a powerful swing. His form left him in a lowered stance with his sword at his back as a soft creak echoed around him. The trees around him began to topple over like dominoes when 6 trees hit the floor with a thunderous thud. Marco couldn't help but to give a small laugh of excitement; even Star came running to him in excitement.

"Whoa, Marco! That was awesome! Whatcha doing?" Star stood next to him looking at the toppled trees. Marco sheathed his sword with a smile on his face.

"Morning to you too, Star," Marco laughed as if Star had forgotten to greet him for the day. It was early by the way. As usual, Marco had a habit of getting up early and began work before Star and Tom could stretch in bed. "I was just cutting some trees down. I need some wood for my next project."

"What project?"

"Can't tell you. It's supposed to be a secret."

"What? Tell me!" Star's eyes grew in wonder and curiosity at the mere mentioning of a 'secret.' Marco just brushed her off lightly with a smile.

"Nope."

"Marco Diaz!" Star began to chase after Marco who began to run from her.

Tom lay on the couch wrapped in a blanket with his eyes closed as he rested silently. Apparently, it was still too early for the demon to get up as he did his best to remain as comfortable as possible laying on the couch. The door creaked open with Marco walking in and Star, still running from the chase, busting through the door. A sour expression grew on Tom's face as the ruckus between the two grew. Marco got himself a cup of water as he leaned against the sink.

"Don't know why you keeping secrets from me," Star was acting appalled.

"Don't see why I can't have any secrets. We don't know everything about each other," Marco laughed at her.

"How about I pay you for that information," Star proceeded to bribe him.

"No."

"Come on Marco. I already know everything about you! Don't leave me hanging like this!" Star fell to her knees and yanked on his shirt.

"I don't have to tell you everything, Star."

"Please take his word for it and stop talking! Some of us are trying to get some sleep here!" Tom finally grew frustrated.

"Sorry, moody," Star walked over to the table. "Hey! Why are you complaining! This isn't your house!" Star turned to him in a quick realization.

"I'm a valued guest."

"There is nothing valuable about you! Find your own place!" Star yelled at him. Tom just turned on his side and snuggled against his pillow. Star growled as she lifted her hand with her wand as it began to glow. Marco coughed on his water.

"Why do you have that!" Marco screamed at Star who turned to him slowly.

"Uh… I forgot I still had this out" Star put her wand behind her quickly. Marco slapped his hand to his forehead.

"We are back in Mewni! You need to be careful!"

"I know, I know," Star lowered her head. Marco looked at her and shook his head as he could feel emotions running through him.

"Star… Star, I'm sorry. I don't mean to get upset. Just… just be careful," Marco put his hands on her shoulders. Star looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Ok," She replied softly. He smiled and headed for the door again.

"Alright. I am heading out again. Tom when you finally get up, I would like for you to help me out back."

"Whatever you say, mom," Tom replied.

"Oh, and leave the attitude here," Marco's eyes fell half shut as he walked out the door. Star stood at the window as she watched Marco going back towards the trees. Star placed a hand on her chest. _**Did… did we just share an emotion?**_ Star thought to herself. Tom yawned loudly that happen to strike Star on a nerve as she turned to face him.

"If you are going to stay here you are going to have to pull your own weight."

"And I will… when it is time to get up," Tom replied sarcastically. Star threw a wet towel on his face. Tom jumped up with a smile on his face as he looked at the towel. "Planning on giving me a bed bath?" Tom looked at her slyly. Star gasped as she pulled her wand out again and waved it at Tom.

"Rainbow Fist Punch!" A rainbow fist shot out of her wand, knocking Tom off the couch. Tom lay on the floor for a few seconds staring into the ceiling. That was until Star stood above him. "Oh good. You're awake. I believe Marco wanted help out back." Star had victory smile on her face. Tom huffed as she stood up.

"Fine! Fine. I will go help him," Tom walked out the back door leaving Star feeling proud of herself from getting him off the couch.  
Tom walked over to where Marco was cutting the trees he had just cut down. Marco made long, precise strikes with his sword, making perfectly cut beams. Tom couldn't help be feel a bit impressed as he stood next to Marco.

"Your ego is beginning to show," Tom commented. Marco turned to him with a faint chuckle.

"Really? I'm just making some support beams and boards. My sword just makes it easier for me to obtain the material I need. I already got some nails and hammer from the village before we went to Echo Creek" Marco explained.

"Uh-huh. So, what is all this lumber for?"

"It's a surprise for Star. But before we do that, I have this lumber to make a chicken dove coop. We can raise some of them for their eggs," Marco pointed out to a pile of smaller boards and beams. I would like to go back to Echo Creek and buy some wire fencing when we get the chance."

"Oh, so I take you home one time and now I am going to be your personal taxi?"

"Well, I don't know about that but it would be nice to go back every now and then."

"Uh-huh. Does that ivory head little girl have anything to do with this?" Marco gave Tom a sour look at his remark.

"Don't bring Jackie into this," Marco pointed at Tom.

"Whoa, didn't mean to hit a nerve. But I can see you still like her," Tom sat on the pile of wood.

"Yeah so what if I do?"

"Nothing. It's cool. But the Blood Moon didn't choose you two," Tom said under his breath. Marco turned to him.

"What?"

"It's nothing. So, what is that pile of wood for?" Tom pointed at the bigger pile. Marco let the annoyance slip him and regain his sense of pride as he walked over to the larger pile of wood.

"This pile is for Star."

"For… Star?"

"Yeah."

"Is she supposed to eat it? Cause I don't think she will know what to do with it."

"No! I am going to build her something."

"It's her own house? You plan on kicking her out?"

"Tom! Focus!" Marco yelled. He exhaled deeply. "Star's birthday is coming up in two weeks. So, I have this plan to build something for her to help her achieve one of her dreams," Marco waved his hand over the lumber as he hushed his voice to tell Tom his plans.

"Wow… that's actually pretty good," Tom couldn't help but admire Marco's train of thought.

* * *

The following day, Mr. and Mrs. Diaz began their day as they usually did. Mrs. Diaz brewed coffee and fixed a bottle for Estrella while adding baby formula to her husband's coffee instead of creamer; some mornings she is a bit more tired seeing how the two alternate nights on who will get up and tend to Estrella's needs. Mr. Diaz, in the meanwhile, changed the morning diaper then dressed Estrella for the day. Once he was done, Mr. Diaz would come downstairs with their daughter in his arms.

"Angie, darling. Estrella is looking more like you day after day!" Mr. Diaz complemented. Mrs. Diaz turned to him with bags under her eyes and messy bed hair. "Well…. Maybe not so much today," Mr. Diaz joked with a face of shock.

"Oh, Rafael. That's sweet," Mrs. Diaz, completely oblivious to his joke, accepted the compliment. She was startled when they heard a knocking on the front door. Mr. and Mrs. Diaz looked to each other.

"Who is knocking at our door so early in the morning?" Mr. Diaz asked out loud, not really expecting an answer. He proceeded to the door. Once there, he opened the door only to put a wide, enlighten smile at their visitors.

"King and Queen Butterfly! What a pleasant surprise! Please come in!" Mr. Diaz opened the door widely as he embraced the King and Queen in his arms. The King patted him on the back with a big cheesy smile and the Queen held her hand back with a bit of annoyance. Mr. Diaz let them go.

"Good to see you, Rafael!" The King greeted.

"Yes. Delightful" The Queen was a bit distracted.

"How wonderful to see you!" Mrs. Diaz walked up to them. The King finally noticed what the Queen was staring at. In the arms of Mrs. Diaz sat a happy baby girl who seem to coo and their visitors.

"When did you have another child, Angie?" The Queen let it slip with a bit more excitement to see Mrs. Diaz. Mrs. Diaz just chuckled as she handed the baby to the Queen who took her with much excitement.

"It has been about 10 months now," Mrs. Diaz held her hands together as they came down in front of her body. "Please, come sit. I will get you some coffee," Mrs. Diaz walked to the kitchen as the King approached the Queen with Estrella.

"Oh, honey. I will have mine without baby formula this time," Mr. Diaz joked.

"Har-har," Mrs. Diaz mocked him.

"What is her name?" The Kings eyes grew wide with admiration. He wiggled his finger in front of the girls face as she giggled and caught a firm grip on his beard. "Oh-ho! Now that is a good grip!" The King laughed as he and the Queen took a seat at the couch.

"We actually named her Estrella," Mr. Diaz said. Mrs. Diaz returned from the kitchen with a tray of coffee and cookies.

"Is that name derived from your native tongue?" The Queen looked at Mrs. Diaz.

"Yes, it is."

"What does it mean?" The King asked.

"It is actually a name you are familiar with. Estrella is Star in Spanish," Mrs. Diaz explained. The King and Queen's eyes grew watery.

"You named her after our daughter?" The Queen looked at them with a sense of honor in her eyes.

"Of course. Star has been such a big influence on our family. We wanted to express our gratitude to her by naming our daughter after her," Mrs. Diaz smiled as the King wiped his eyes.

"So, what brings you two into our home today?" Mr. Diaz asked as he dunked a cookie into his coffee.

"Funny enough, it is about Star" The Queen replied. Mr. and Mrs. Diaz looked at each other. "We got a message from her the other day saying she had recently visited you.

"Yes she did. Marco and Star were going to one of Echo Creek's annual festivals and we just so happen to run into each other," Mr. Diaz explained.

"And how was our daughter?" The King jumped in anticipation.

"She was actually doing really good. The kids are healthy, clean, and well fed," Mrs. Diaz said. The King and Queen had eyes filled with anticipation. Sure, Star's message had said that they were doing good but to hear it coming from an actual person felt more credible.

"Why didn't you contact us that they were here?" The Queen had to ask. It came out a little harsh; as if the Diaz's knew they were supposed to contact them the moment those two arrived but failed to follow orders.

"We were just too excited that they were here. I apologize for saying this but it never crossed our minds to contact you," Mrs. Diaz tried to brush the harshness in the Queen's voice.

"Star is our daughter. I would have hoped it would have been second knowledge to let us know of her arrival."

"Forgive us your Majesty. It just slipped," Mr. Diaz apologized. Mrs. Diaz didn't take too lightly how the Queen raised her voice. More so that her husband had to apologize for this.

"Forgive me for being blunt, but they ran from you. The last thing I would have been willing to do was to scare the children away by telling you they were here," Mrs. Diaz stood.

"What?" The Queen furrowed her brow in response to Mrs. Diaz tone of voice.

"We were happy to see them. Heck, they even stayed here overnight. I don't feel like my husband or I should apologize for that."

"Star is our daughter! Who gives you the right to know what's best for her!?" The Queen stomped her foot as she stood up to meet Mrs. Diaz's gaze. Mr. Diaz and the King backed away from their wives.

"Oh, look at the time! I must go feed my lawn mower," Mr. Diaz unintelligibly said as he jumped to his feet. It was the only thing he could think of in such a panic.

"Why yes, it is! I will take Estrella and join you," The King ran out the back with Estrella in his arms while Mr. Diaz followed only to stop, stare at the refrigerator, grabbed a few drinks and ran out again in hope that the ladies didn't hear him.

"I understand that Star is not my child, but she had been living here with us for over a year. I treated her like one of my own. I even named _my_ own child after her. I don't know about you, but I feel like I have a say when it come to her," Mrs. Diaz argued.

"My daughter is a princess. She should behave like one. I am sorry but she was not behaving like one staying here on Earth. I made a choice to send her to school on her mannerism. They were not improving," The Queen argued her point.

"Well I am sorry that you don't approve, but here on Earth, our children have a choice on what they want to be. Sure, most children will make bad choices and some will never recover from them, but I can tell you with full conviction there was nothing wrong with Star."

"Mrs. Diaz, she was laughing at various bodily sounds. I love that my daughter has many traits from her father's side of the family but I can't have her acting like a barbarian."

"Queen Butterfly, Star is not a barbarian. She is a young adult. Wow, I can't even say child anymore. My point being is that she is free to enjoy herself. So what if that means that she is going to laugh at the occasional burp or fart. Anyone can't help but to laugh when someone lets it rip in a quiet room. True, there is an appropriate place and time for that, but let her learn when that is."

"She needs to be ready when Mewni needs her. Is she supposed to learn when it is ok while she is on the throne?"

"No. And she will be Queen one day. Even if it is going to be in her own way," Mrs. Diaz voice was peaceful again as she listened to the heavy breathing of the Queen. She watched as the Queen stood there, pondering all that was said.

"I… I did this to her. I pushed her away with my selfishness" The Queen fell back into the sofa with her hands over her eyes, failing to hold her tears back. Mrs. Diaz sat next to her. "I just want my little girl back."

"Moon…" Mrs. Diaz decided to call her by her name to try to even out the playing field between them. Maybe on Mewni, Queen Moon has absolute power, but here on Earth, at this moment in the Diaz's house, she was just another concerned mother who has expectations of their child. "…Star loves you. She wants to be able to come home too, but she wants to come home with no strings attached; no conditions."

"Forgive me, but she is royalty. She can't be seen acting silly and everything," The Queen looked at Mrs. Diaz.

"Be that as it may, maybe it would be good to have an energetic Queen. She has a talent for brightening up anyone's mood and bringing out the best in people."

"I suppose…" The Queen looked down at her feet. "… I do miss her."

"I know you do. And she misses you. You just got to let go of the reigns sometimes to let them roam and find themselves. Trust me when I say that the kids are fine. They are learning to grow up. They are finding themselves and shaping themselves into adults."

"Really?"

"Of course. They are doing a phenomenal job living on their own. Before you know it, they will come back to us," Mrs. Diaz put an arm around the Queen's shoulder.

"Forgive me for saying, but public displays of affection with royalty is frowned upon," The Queen chuckled.

"Yeah, well, you are not on Mewni, now are you?" Mrs. Diaz smiled. "And hey, once Star becomes the Queen she may be able to change that," The Queen and Mrs. Diaz laughed.

* * *

Mr. Diaz and the King stood outside while drinking the sodas Mr. Diaz had snagged from the refrigerator before leaving the house. They walked over to a couple of lawn chairs that sat in the shaded portion of the back yard so they could get off their feet and relax a bit. Estrella sat on her father's lap while gumming at a pair of plastic keys.

"Hopefully the ladies were able to settle their little dispute," The King sighed.

"I am sure they will be fine. Children seem to be a sensitive subject for any mother," Mr. Diaz laughed.

"I couldn't agree more," The King laughed along with him. After a few minutes of enjoying the joke, the King became a bit more serene once again as he turned to Mr. Diaz. "So… how was my little girl?" Mr. Diaz smirked at the repertoire of the Butterfly's. It was too obvious that they were still in disbelief.

"Believe it or not, she was fantastic. Star is growing into a very healthy, very beautiful woman," Mr. Diaz patted the king on his shoulder. The King smiled in response. "Star and Marco said they have been taking care of each other with food, shelter and clothing. Star knows how to sow!"

"I heard! But I still couldn't believe it," King Butterfly laughed hardily. "That's my Star! I knew she would be fine. She is half Johansen after all. And we are survivors! But… but I do miss and feel that she still needs her parents," The Kings voice became heavy.

"We miss our son, too. Truthfully, when they ran away, I wasn't too concern about it. As long as they have each other they were going to be fine," The King looked up at Mr. Diaz. "I didn't completely agree with it, but I knew they would be fine."

"I suppose you are right. They care for each other," The King stared out into the yard. Then he noticed 2 big white rats squeezing between the boards of the Diaz's fence. "Do you have a rodent problem by any chance?"

"What?" Mr. Diaz sat up and stared in the direction the King was and saw the rats he was referring too. "Dios Mio! They are huge!"

"They look like Mewnian swap rats."

"I must go to the hardware store and get some traps!"

"No need! I will hand this!" The King pulled a crossbow from his beard. Mr. Diaz stared in amazement.

"You just keep that in there?"

"No time for explanation. Just stay quiet," The King took aim. "I'll teach you to invade someone's home!" The King shouted as the rats turned to him. There was a loud squeak as the King pulled the trigger.

* * *

The Queen stood in Star's room after the conversation she shared with Mrs. Diaz. Mrs. Diaz had decided to check on her child and invited the Queen to go up to Star's room if it would make her feel better. Surprisingly, the Queen was admiring the personality in her daughter's room. She looked around and giggled at the clothing that lay in piles around the room, the oversized fish tank with the underwater life of Mewni, even at random doodles that were scattered about. Everything their screamed Star Butterfly. She noticed a lot of doodles of warnicorns as she picked a doodle off the floor.

"She has always wanted a warnicorn," The Queen chuckled sadly. She, once again scanned the room and took noticed to an object leaning against her bed. There, sat a large brown book, easily weighing as much as an adolescent child, covered with jewels of assorted sizes. The Queen walked over to Star's bed and sat down. She pulled the book onto the bed and opened it. A little blue man with a jewel at the center of his forehead and a tan robe floated out of the book. He opened his eyes to revel diamond shaped iris'.

"It's about time you came…. My lady," Glossaryck bowed at the sudden realization that the Queen was the one staring upon him. "What brings you here?" He began to act casually as he placed himself into a side laying position.

"Star was here a few days ago," The Queen replied.

"Well, no one informed me," Glossaryck retorted.

"How could you not tell she was here?"

"Same way you go looking for a teddy bear in a kitchen ware store. You just don't," Glossaryck smiled.

"I could do without the smart remarks, Glossaryck."

"Forgive me my Queen, but you come in accusing me of not knowing that Star was here as if she came straight to me. My Queen, I had no idea she was here," Glossaryck watched as the Queen hung her head. "Desperation has not become you my Queen."

"I'm sorry Glossaryck. It's just… I miss her. I miss her so much and I can't…but… but to lash out." Tears ran down her cheek as Glossaryck floated over to her.

"Has she contacted you?" Glossaryck asked.

"She sent us a recorded message the other night."

"How about the magic tracing I taught you?"

"I've tried but I can't seem to identify Star. And then she isn't the only one who knows magic on Mewni."

"That is true, but even ripples in a pond have a source that grows outward in its own pattern," Glossaryck waved his arms outward.

"What is that suppose to mean?"

"Wow… and I was actually trying to say it plainly. It means that Star leaves her own mark when she taps into the magic of the universe. You just need to find which one is hers." The Queen looked down.

"Then I believe that it is time to continue training," The Queen concluded as she looked back up to Glossaryck. "Since we are on the matter of magic, have you been successful on tracing the cause of the leak?"

"I regret to inform you but no. But the leak seems to be steadying itself. Almost like it is being funneled out."

"How can that be?'

"Like so," Glossaryck held a funnel to his mouth and poured cheese balls into the other end. The Queen looked on with a thousand-dagger stare at him.

"Ok. We're done here," The Queen got up. She stared at the door. "If you do hear from Star, would you please tell her to come home. We miss her and she doesn't have to change to be our princess."

"I could… but I think it would mean more if it came from you," Glossaryck swallowed hard on his cheese balls so he could speak clearly. "Don be sad my Queen. This can be a good thing. Being on her own will teach her how to grow up and learn responsibility. When she is ready, she will make a fine Queen.," Glossaryck added. The Queen smiled as she walked out the door. Glossaryck floated back into the book where it shut closed and leaned against Star's bed once again.

* * *

Ludo was pacing back and forth in his cave waiting for the two rats he had sent to the Diaz's house to return. It was obvious he was growing weary as his body temperature increased, evident to his excess sweating, and furrowing brows of frustration. His hawk and spider watched him cautiously as the pressure built in this little monster like a shaken bottle of soda. That was until the cap finally blew off.

"Ah! Where are those 2 idiots!" Ludo waved his wand into the air as bolts of green energy shot out and put holes into the walls. "It has been an hour since those 2 have taken off!" Ludo turned to the door and shot it off its hinges. Dust and debris scatter about from the force of the attack. So much so that it burst back into Ludo's face, causing him to run around in circles from the sting in his eyes. "I have been blinded! Help me girls!" Ludo screamed. The spider shot him with its web while the hawk took flight and caught the webbing. "What are you doing you imbeciles!" The hawk took him outside of the cave and over the nearby lake. "Put me down at once!" The hawk let go of the webbing. The downward motion made Ludo realize that he was falling from the sky. "No… catch me! Catch m-," Ludo belly flopped into the lake with a loud slap. By shore of the lake, the hawk and spider waited patiently as Ludo washed up on shore. "Uh… thank you girls…" He said faintly as he opened his eyes. As he stood to pat himself, 2 rats came rushing to him. They stood on their hind legs as they began to squeak frantically. "What!" Ludo held his wands to his rats in pure frustration. After all this time with the rats he was able to pick up on what they were trying to squeak. Unfortunately for them, it wasn't anything he wanted to hear. The rats bowed to him in fear. "Find them! I will not accept runaways! Especially when we are so close to domination! I want that book!" Ludo shot the two with bolts of crackling green light. It wasn't strong enough to kill them but it stung for sure. The shock of the attack cause them to ran frantically away from him. "Send more rats!" The hawk and spider stood behind him nervously. The wand began to warble and glow. "Tell me about it. I am surrounded by idiots. But we need them. I so desperately want to burn the kingdom of Mewni down to the ground," Ludo began to laugh hysterically. "And then I will throw Star Butterfly into the mouth of a black hole where she will be ripped apart from existence! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" The spider and hawk stepped back from him in fear that he would advert his attention on them.

* * *

The sun was high in the sky, the sky was blue and the King and Queen were standing in the front yard of the Diaz's home. They waited patiently for their carriage to arrive. Mrs. Diaz gave the Queen a hug as their carriage pulled up; they were saying their goodbyes.

"It was so good to see you two again," Mrs. Diaz released the Queen as she went to hug the King.

"The pleasure is all ours. It was nice to get away from responsibility for a while," The King laughed.

"I bet it was, but are you sure you won't stay a while longer? It's only 1 o'clock and I can barbeque for lunch," Mr. Diaz asked.

"As lovely as that sounds we must be getting back. Can't leave the nobility by themselves for too long. A little taste of power and they think they could run a kingdom better than us," The Queen chuckled as she held an open hand to the side of her mouth as if she was telling a secret.

"They really do that?" Mrs. Diaz asked.

"Of course they do. We had to execute a few of them the last time," The King laughed. Mr. and Mrs. Diaz laughed nervously along with him.

"That wasn't a joke. Beheaded, like, 5 of them," The Queen said a bit more riley. Mr. and Mrs. Diaz chuckled lightly as the King laughed even harder. "Angie… thank you… for our little talk. I do feel a bit at ease."

"Anytime. We are family now after all," Mrs. Diaz waved.

"Your son married our daughter!" The Kings face grew white with dreaded and his beard stuck out as the hairs stood on end.

"Not yet," Mr. Diaz laughed.

"I mean with all we have gone through together," Mrs. Diaz tried to clear things up and she slapped her husband on the shoulder.

"Ow," Mr. Diaz whimpered a bit.

"River, darling, you need to stop overreacting. It truly shows where Star gets it from," The Queen remarked as she rolled her eyes.

"Mm-hm… sorry," The King apologized after he cleared his throat.

"Anyways…," Mrs. Diaz turned to the Queen again. "Don't worry too much about Star. When she is ready she will come home. She misses you two as well." The Queen smiled.

"Keep me informed the next time they show?" The Queen asked.

"As long as Star is ready. When she comes back, come to her as her mother. Not the Queen of Mewni." The Queen smiled as she nodded her head.

"Come River. Let's go home."

"Coming daring! Rafael, the next time we come we will have to do this 'barbeque' you humans, and Star, are always talking about," The King turned to Mr. Diaz.

"Are you kidding? We will have a fiesta!" Mr. Diaz threw his hands up with Estrella imitating him with giggles. The King laughed as he ran up to his wife as they entered their carriage. One of the coachmen jumped down from his seat and opened a portal with his dimensional scissors. Mr. and Mrs. Diaz watched as the horse, well more like lion lizards, drawn carriage was pulled through the portal and vanish in thin air. Mrs. Diaz watched as her husband kneeled to pick up a crossbow that leaned against the wall.

"Where did you get that?" Mrs. Diaz's eyes grew wide.

"The King gave it to me. He shot 2 rats with it today!" Mr. Diaz pointed it forward in excitement.

"Here?!"

"Yes! Which reminds me, we should go the store tomorrow and get some rat traps. We might have a rodent problem," Mr. Diaz smiled as he opened the door for his wife.

"Ok, but you are not going to play with that around Estrella," Mrs. Diaz pointed at him.

"Come on sweetie, if I don't teach her how to use one of these, who will," Mr. Diaz laughed as he followed his wife into their home to relax from the excitement from this day.

* * *

Evening began to fall upon Mewni as the sky took its hues of blues, oranges and pinks. Tom and Marco leaned against a pile of lumber where they stared at what they had accomplished that day. What they had accomplished was the frame work for a fairly large building; ladders leaned against on two of the support beams, pullies and ropes hung from what would become the roof. Tom nodded his head in agreement with their work.

"Not too shabby, Diaz," Tom complimented.

"And you thought we needed magic," Marco remarked.

"It would have been the easiest way. We would have been done hours ago. But, strangely enough, this feels more rewarding."

"Like Star, you didn't know what you were capable of until you gave up magic."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Boys! Dinner is ready!" Star yelled from the house.

"Coming!" Tom and Marco yelled back.

"I will admit, it probably wouldn't be as easy if I didn't have my sword," Marco patted sword that was hanging on his left side. He and Tom began to walk to the house.

"True, but it only chopped the wood in record timing. The rest of it was us. I have the splinters to prove it," Tom lifted his hands up revealing cut, bloodied, and splintered hands.

"That is how a worker's hands should look like," Marco laughed in response. After a few minutes, the boys entered the home to a dinner that was already waiting for them at the table. "Smells good, Star." Marco sat at the table after washing his hands. Star jumped into her seat next to Marco. Tom sat across from her as he smiled at his plate.

"Thanks. So… what are you guys building?" Star placed her chin on her hands.

"Can't tell you."

"What? Come on! You gotta tell me!"

"Nope. You are just gonna have to wait."

"Fine…. I will just get it out of Tom," Star pointed at him.

"Wish I could tell you, but he won't even tell me," Tom bit a spoonful of his thick broth soup that Star had made. Star's jaw just about hit the table.

"You guys suck!" Star slapped her hands on the table. The boys just laughed at her.

"That reminds me. I am going to need to take a trip to Earth. I need some chicken wire for our other project," Marco ate from his plate.

"We just got back the other day. Why didn't you think about that before we left?" Star looked up in shock.

"I underestimated how quickly I was able to obtain lumber. And I wouldn't mind seeing our friends again Don't you wanna see them too?" Marco tried to sweeten the deal a bit.

"I… guess. Sure you don't want to stay here a while longer before we go?"

"Are you trying to keep me here?" Marco smirked at her, not picking up on the fact that she really didn't want to go back so soon.

"Of course not! No. Let's go see Jackie again," Star laughed nervously. Marco choked on his meal. Tom smiled as he watched how flustered the two were getting.

"What brought that up?" Marco wiped his face while Star looked down at her plate, bright red with embarrassment.

"That is a good question Marco, "Tom pointed his spoon at Marco who, in turn, became red.

"No one asked you, Tom!" Marco stood up.

"I wasn't asking anything."

"I… uh…," Marco finished his plate quickly. "I'm done! I… I… am off to bed. Get some sleep, we are going shopping on Earth tomorrow!" Marco sped-walk to his room. Star watched him as she rubbed one of the stones on her necklace.

"Something is going on…" Star stated to herself. Tom just finished off his plate.

"I am sure it is nothing. He just has a few projects he wants to finish. We shouldn't be out there for too long," Tom couldn't help but feel obligated to defend Marco _ **. I don't owe him anything, but I would rather not disappoint Star… for a change… about him**_. Tom thought to himself.

"Yeah… yeah. You're right," Star stood up and took the dishes to the sink. Tom took them from her.

"Don't worry about it. I will get the dishes tonight."

"Thanks Tom," Star smiled faintly as she walked to her room. She turned to him before she entered her room. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Tom replied as he turned to the dishes. Tom stared out the window getting lost in thought. _**Maybe it isn't a good idea to go to Earth tomorrow. The last thing I want is for Star to get hurt. And with what I saw, Marco is going to hurt her in the worst of way**_ s. Tom looked up into the night sky. _**The worst part is I'm not even a player in this game. But… maybe that isn't such a bad thing anymore…**_ Tom laughed to himself as he returned to washing the dishes.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everyone! How has it been? I know my stories come so slow and I want to thank you for baring wit me. As you know, we get busy. I have also been putting a lot of time int Horizon: Zero Dawn. It is such a great game. Anyways, I hope there isn't too many grammatical errors. I really dont mean to post bad writing but i have a problem of overlooking some things. I will do my best to get another chapter out in about 2 weeks, if not sooner. Again, thank you for your patience and enjoy the story! Without further adieu, chapter 9**

* * *

Chapter 9: Back so Soon?

Morning came to Echo Creek park as the it lay silent and motionless because the was no kids to be found early that day. All except for three youngsters, two of which sat at the park bench holding their sides in pain. Star and Marco were in pain from traveling between dimensions with their demonic friend who leaned nonchalantly against the bench while smiling smugly at the two.

"You knew it was going hurt. We should have used Star's scissors," Tom remarked.

"Cant. Might alarm her mom," Marco breathed heavily.

"Yeah, it has been 2 years. She may have given up on you by now," Tom picked his ear with his pinky.

"He may have a point Marco. This really hurts," Star winced as she sat up straight. "Why did we come back again?"

"Told you. We need some chicken wire for my project and the village doesn't seem to have the technology to make it yet," Marco finally built the strength to stand up again. "We can leave as soon as we get that wire if you want," Marco placed a hand on Star's shoulder. She looked up at him and felt her cheeks heat up. "You ok?" Marco noticed the redness spreading on her cheeks.

"Yeah! Yeah. I am fine," Star stood quickly to try to cover her embarrassment. "Well then. Let's go get that chicken wire!" Star began to walk away. Tom walked up next to Marco.

"Just admit it. You really wanted to see Jackie again," Tom said to Marco.

"I'm not admitting anything Tom. Would I mind running into her today? No. But that probably won't happen. We just need that one thing," Marco explained.

"Whatever you say Marco," Tom smirked as he walked away from him. Marco just shook his head in response. He walked quickly to catch up with Star.

* * *

Marco was pushing a shopping cart at the local Lowe's. The store smelt of freshly cut wood, the sounds of saws in in the lumber sectioned echoed through the aisles, forklifts moving about the people to avoid hitting them, and people were chatting about tile patterns, appliances, or lighting for their home interior projects. Star looked around in amazement.

"Wow. This place has everything to build a modern day castle with a modern Earth interior. Complete with stainless steel sinks and refrigerators and marbled counter tops," Star's eyes were wide with excitement as she eyed all the new appliances and interior designs of the new year.

"And that is the first sign that you are getting older," Tom remarked. Star turned to him in confusion. "You know. Getting excited about home interior," Tom laughed.

"Oh my gosh! Look at the patters of this carpet!" Marco bushed his fingers across the carpet. Tom turned to Star in shock.

"He loves his interior designs," Star whispered loudly to Tom.

"Point exactly. Do you guys do this often?"

"Actually, we use to come here with his patents. I did wreck the home often and they loved to use that as an excuse to plan interior renovations. Marco and I even walked through the aisles, picturing what we would install in our own place," Star laughed lightly at the thought as Marco moved on to the ceiling fans and lighting.

"You guys planned home interior… as in _your_ guys' home?" Tom looked down at her. Star's eyes grew wide again.

"Yeah… we planned it as if we were going to stay in the same house together," Star looked down. "But… but we really can't do that, can we?"

"Why do you say that?"

"Because… he still wants Jackie," Star felt a tightness in her chest. Tom looked at her with concern.

"It there a problem with that?"

"No…" Star shook herself from her thoughts. She turned to Tom. "Let's catch up to him. We will lose him in this store if we get too far from him," Star smiled as she joked. She and Tom walked briskly as Marco hopped gleefully into the bathroom section.

After a while of running through the aisles, the trio walked over to the lumber and fencing section to find the chicken wire. They stopped to stare at a large roll of wire. Marco and Tom placed their hands to their chins as they examined the roll. Star sat on top of the wire as the guys examined it.

"Do chicken doves have strong beaks?" Marco asked.

"No stronger than that of an Earth chicken," Star commented as she poked her fingers through the holes of the wire.

"Does it really matter? Just buy the thicker wire. It will hold up longer," Tom commented as they saw Star beginning to panic as she got her finger stuck.

"That's true. Alright. We will take this roll then," Marco and Tom began to walk towered the thicker wire rolls.

"Hey! What about me! Oof!" Star wiggled around until the roll fell over with Star stuck to it. Her hands were still caught in the wiring when she felt a tug at her hand; she sat on her bottom with her stuck finger over her head. She felt her finger slipped out and jumped to her feet to thank her helper only to be surprised as Mr. Diaz stood smiling at her.

"You looked like a cat who got their nails caught in the frill of a couch pillow!" Mr. Diaz laughed. Star put a big smile on her face.

"Mr. Diaz! How did you know we were here?" Star jumped up to hug him.

"I didn't. I came to get some industrial size rat traps and poisons for the house. The other day you father and I saw two big ones in the yard."

"Did you say my dad?!" Star's jaw dropped.

"Dad!?" Marco and Tom retuned to Star.

"Mijo!" Mr. Diaz hugged Marco who embraced him in return.

"What's up, Mr. D," Tom patted him on the shoulder.

"Tom! Don't be modest. Bring it in!" Mr. Diaz hugged Tom who bent back in shock. "What are you kids doing back so soon? Not that I'm not happy, but you made it sound like it was gonna be some time before you returned."

"I needed a few things to build a chicken coop and I didn't think about getting those things before we left," Marco explained.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Forget about the coop. You said my dad was here on Earth?" Star cut Marco off.

"Yes, he was. So was you mother. You know what? Come with me to the house. We can talk about it over breakfast!" Mr. Diaz said excitedly as they walked together to the cashier.

* * *

Mr. Diaz walked the trio into the house where they were greeted with the smell of chorizo. Star's mouth began to water as the smell reminded her of Earth cuisine. Tom closed his eyes to take in the smell as well as a smile began to creep over his face.

"Man. What is that smell?" Tom asked.

"That's chorizo Tom. Mom must be making some breakfast burritos," Marco walked by him. Star hopped over to Marco.

"Reminds me of when we use to get our Sunday morning breakfast burritos at the Taco Shack," Star smiled at Marco.

"Right," Marco smiled warmly at her.

"I texted your mother in advance to make extra! We were going to have visitors!  
Mr. Diaz patted Tom on the shoulder.

"Yah! I'm gonna eat, like, four burritos! Mrs. Diaz, hook it up!" Star yelled as she ran into the kitchen with Mr. Diaz followed her in.

"Are your parents always this happy and spry?" Tom turned to Marco.

"Just about. They had always believed that if you stay positive, life will treat you in the best of ways. Seems to work for them. I obviously haven't picked up that ideal yet," Marco laughed as he walked toward the kitchen.

"Must be nice to have parents like that," Tom sighed.

"You coming Tom?"

"Yeah!" Tom snapped out of it as he caught up with Marco in the kitchen. The boys walked in to see cups of coffee sitting on the counter for them, homemade tortillas sitting in a basket with a towel covering them, and a mixture of eggs, potatoes, and chorizo in a pan. On top of that, they saw an impatient Star already stuffing her face with a breakfast burrito.

"Marco!" His mom hugged him. "Tom!" She then turned to him and hugged him as well. Tom put a smile on his face. "What a wonderful surprise to see you guys back so soon!"

"Yeah. I forgot to get a few things before we left last time we were here," Marco explained. Mrs. Diaz laughed.

"Well thank God for your forgetfulness," his mom rubbed his head vigorously. "Sit down. Let's eat before Star finishes everything up."

"And you know I will!" Star jumped up from her seat in excitement.

* * *

Star sat at the table with a somber look on her face while Marco was looking on to her with concern. Tom was the only one who didn't seem phased with any of the news but that was probably because he was playing with Estrella.

"My parents were here?" Star asked quietly.

"Yes, dear. They asked that we let them know when you would return to us. But I had told your mom that we would only do so when _you_ were ready," Mrs. Diaz placed a hand on Star's free hand that sat on the table.

"How… how are they?"

"They are missing you," Mrs. Diaz told her. Then Tom began to laugh. Everyone turned to this poorly placed laughter only to be greeted with a stare of embarrassment.

"Sorry… human babies are just so funny," He whispered as he turned his head away. Marco shook his head as he turned to Star.

"Star?" Marco called quietly as he watched as she stared into an empty cup.

"Listen Star. I am not saying for you to confront your parents about your issues now, but you are going to have to talk to them."

"No she doesn't," Marco stood from his chair. His parents looked up at him with shock. Star turned her eyes to him while leaving her head hung. "She doesn't have to do anything." Marco felt his body shaking as he began to heat up.

"Marco, this isn't your decision to make. Star is going to have to talk to her parents eventually," Mrs. Diaz replied.

"No she doesn't. She doesn't have to leave us. We can't let her go," Marco's voice began to tremble.

"Mijo. Star has a responsibility that she will have to fulfill one day. Star is going to have to leave one day. But that doesn't mean she will be gone forever. She just won't be around all the time anymore," Mr. Diaz tried to console Marco. Marco's hands were shaking as his breathing became heavier and rapid.

"No."

"Marco."

"She can't leave me!" Marco yelled. Everyone jumped in surprise. "She has done so much for me! I am who I am today because of her! If I lose her, I will lose myself! I have been able to run from this because of her! Star would do the same for me… I know that she would. That's why… that's why I will run with her to the corners of every dimension just so she can stay with me!" Marco clenched his eyes tightly.

"Marco…" Star called quietly. He opened his eyes slowly to see everyone staring at him. His panting was heavy from the yelling. He didn't begin to slow down until he looked into Star's saddened eyes.

"Marco… you can't make that call for her," His mom said quietly. Marco shut his eyes again as he turned and ran out the kitchen.

"Marco!" Star called as the sound of the living room door slammed shut. Star put her head into her hands.

"Give him some time, dear. He just needs time to think," Mrs. Diaz placed a hand on Star's shoulder.

"'Not crazy for her' my butt," Tom whispered to Estrella as the little girl reached up to grab his horns. Tom giggled in response. "Oh no, I think I want one," Tom laughed to himself as he pulled her from his horns to see a laughing little face.

* * *

Marco continued running down the street where he would turn at a corner and run a few more blocks. It may have been a few years since he had walked those very streets with Star, but the path was still clear in his head. Eventually he made it to the Echo Creek park. Even in the park he ran until he arrived at a weeping willow tree. His lungs burn as his legs grew weak. He let himself fall in between two large roots of that tree where he would rest his sweating head on his knees. _**What is wrong with me? Why did I have to say all that for?**_ Marco drowned himself in his thoughts. _**You know she was going to leave one day. You even said that she would do it when she was ready. So why does the thought of her leaving hurt so much?**_ He pictured Star's smiling face but the light around her was red, a fact that he had failed to noticed. _**She can't be here with you forever. You know this. So why does this hurt so much?**_

"Is something bothering you?" A voice called out to him. Marco had failed to notice that a young girl had watched as he ran into the park, that she had rode as swiftly as she could on her skateboard to catch up to him only to realize that she did not have the same endurance or speed he had on his two feet. That this girl softly sat down next to him and watched for a moment as he sulked. The only girl he had openly admitted, only to his friends and family that is, that he had a crush on. He looked up only to be caught into a stare by a pair of green eyes.

"Jackie…" he said her name softly. Jackie wrapped her arms around him as Marco allowed himself to lean into her. He let the tears flow silently until they finally flowed no more.

* * *

Star walked up the stair way of the Diaz's home, walking slowly to her room. She opened the door to her bedroom to find that everything was the way she left it. It was only a few days after all. A few days ago, she stood here but, if she was truthful to herself, nothing was the same. This wasn't a happy reunion like it was the last time; this was a mistake. Marco was eager to get back to Earth for supplies but instead found only pain. Star knew it was true; she was going to be Queen one day. Star knew that it meant that she was going to leave the Diaz's and her friends behind one day. She knew she was going to have to leave Marco. _**Marco… am I truly causing you this much pain? You are the last person I would ever want to hurt. Maybe everyone is right… Marco Diaz… I think I am in l—**_ Star was getting lost in thought until she heard a rumbling. Two rats had climbed their way into Star's room through her window. Star yelped from the sight. The two rats squeaked loudly as they watched this young princess pull her wand out from under her jacket and aimed at them.

"Rainbow Fist Punch!" Star yelled as a rainbow fist flew from out of her wand. The attack slammed the rats into the wall with a massive thud. They jumped up in fear, getting ready to jump out of the window. "Oh, no you don't! Hungry Kitty Cat Pounce!" A large cat with a tangle mess for hair, three eyes, colored blue, red and purple flew out of her wand. It turned to the rats and yowled as it crept into a pouncing position. The rats squeaked as they climbed out the window only to be chased by the cat who flew out with ease. Star watched as a trail of glitter and rainbows flowed out of the cat as it chased the rats out of the yard. She heard a shrilled squeaking down the street and smiled. "That's a good kitty cat," She walked over to her bed and allowed herself to fall face first into it.

"Not bad," said a small blue man floating next to her head.

"Thanks, Glossaryck. Glossaryck!" Star jumped back up to her feet quickly as the blue man hovered to her.

"Star Butterfly. Runaway future Queen of Mewni! How delightful to see you again!"

"Are you making fun of me?" Star leaned towards him. Glossaryck didn't look amused.

"What do you want from me? You disappear for 2 years, frighten your parents to death and left your training behind. Did you expect for me to be all like 'Oh Star! Thank goodness you are back! Now everything is right in the universe again!'" Glossaryck slapped his hands to his face as he mocked her with a high pitch, nasally voice. Star responded by glaring at him. "Typical princess and their so-called perception of their grandiose."

"No one told you to come out of that book you know," Star pointed.

"Of course it did. Magic called me out. The moment you started to cast your spell in here I can smell the magic emitting from your wand."

"Ooh. What's it smells like?" Star go to her knees beside her bed where Glossaryck was hovering.

"Yeah, not the point I was trying to make here."

"Sorry," Star retreated.

"Star, where have you been all this time?" Glossaryck changed his tone of voice to that of one that was concern.

"I've…. been running," Star looked away. "Mom was going to take me away from this world. She was pressuring me to be the princess Mewni wants me to be."

"And what's wrong with that?"

"It's not me," Star turned to him. "My mom didn't want me to be me. And the she wants to dump all that responsibility on me. That I should be a model princess.

"Well you are royalty. You should probably act like it," Glossaryck said under his voice.

"I was on Earth for only one year before she decided that I should be sent off to St. O's for my mannerism. I just want to have fun and be myself," Star stared at her feet as she thought to herself. "And I am not ready to leave Marco."

"Marco?" Glossaryck said silently to himself. "True, being the perfect princess carries its burdens but it doesn't have too." Star turned to Glossaryck again. "Truth be told, your mother wasn't any better than you."

"Really?"

"I trained her, didn't I? Your mother was a very rebellious girl herself. She may have been a bit worst, but it doesn't mean you can't be yourself."

"I suppose that is true. But mom doesn't want me to act the way I do."

"Please. You act like your mother doesn't share an occasional belch or picks her toes in the dining hall when no one is around."

"She does what now?" Star's face twisted at the thought.

"And then there is your father. When has he ever act like a King? Constantly yelling, fighting, and setting things on fire."

"I love my papa," Star whispered loudly.

"One day Star, you will be able to lead in your own way. True, you may have to pick up some of your mother's ideals and virtues along the way, but Mewni would have to adjust to you."

"Wow Glossaryck. You made that sound horrible," Star slumped sarcastically.

"Hm," Glossaryck shunted. "And then there is magic. You haven't been practicing."

"Of course not. I don't have my book."

"Not my fault."

"And them my mom seems to have learned how to track my magic. Or at least figured how to locate an area of magic."

"Nifty trick, right? I taught her how to do that," Glossaryck pointed to himself proudly.

"You taught her that? How? You have been here right?"

"Star, you are not the only one who knows magic. And I have been around since the beginning of the Butterfly line. I am not entirely bound to the book. I am free to move around as I please," Glossaryck explained.

"If you are so powerful, how come you haven't track me down yourself?"

"Girl, my only job is to train you to be the future Queen of Mewni and teach you how to use magic. I am not your babysitter. Speaking of magic, have you at least been practicing what you do know?"

"I just said my mom can track it. What makes you think that I would be practicing magic if it will help her find me?"

"Hm. Fair point. Star, I believe it is time that you began your training again."

"Yeah, I don't think so," Star turned away from him.

"And why not?"

"My mom can track it! We just got done saying that!" Star threw her arms into the air.

"Then maybe you should just go home. It is more important than ever that you start your training once again."

"Why is that?"

"That answer is best saved for another day. Point being, you need to begin training once again. For the sake of everyone," Glossaryck floated over to her.

"Maybe I could if there was a way to cover my tracks. Hm… Eclipsa always had something good in her chapter. Maybe there is something in her chapter?"

"Dark magic isn't something to play with. It fees negative emotions as it hurts the user. And I will not see another Butterfly get hurt with it," Glossaryck got defensive. Star stood back.

"Another Butterfly?" Star leaned forward after.

"That is not important right now," Glossaryck composed himself. "You need to begin training again. If you will not use magic, can you at least take the book and read out of it?"

"Uh… I guess I can do that," Star groaned as she looked at the book.

"I understand that you are not ready to handle responsibility of a kingdom. Heck, I even think this little 'vacation' you and Marco have taken is helpful to you, but I insist that you at least continue your lessons."

"Alright Glossaryck. I promise I will give it a try," Star sighed.

"Good. So, whenever you are ready to leave, let me know so I can be ready," Glossaryck smiled.

"Ready for what?"

"To go with you."

"What!" Of course! You didn't think you could take the book without taking me, did you? I may not be bound entirely to the book but I am still part of it!" Glossaryck laughed as he dove into the book, leaving Star alone as she shook her head.

* * *

Marco sat at a table under a tree by himself as he sat in silence feeling like a fool. Everything he had down had been for her or so he had always told himself. In reality, he was doing it for himself. He was the one who couldn't bear the thought of her leaving. They have been through so much together and they had helped each other grew so much that, to him, losing her would be losing a part of himself. He heard footsteps approaching him from the right. He was greeted with a can of soda and a warm smile. Marco smiled back at Jackie as he reached out for his drink.

"Thanks Jackie," Marco said.

"No problem, Marco. Anything to help," Jackie replied as she opened her drink. She took a sip and turned to Marco once again. "So… you want to talk about what's bother you?" Marco turned away from her.

"It's nothing, really," Marco replied.

"Come on Marco, we all know you are a sensitive kid and have a hard time concealing your emotions. You wear everything on your sleeves," Jackie persuaded him.

"It's nothing Jackie. I had a moment; I was being unrealistic with my expectations. In the end, she is going to leave and I won't have a say in it," Marco drank from his soda as Jackie hung her head in response.

"This is about Star, isn't it?" Marco turned to Jackie.

"… yeah…"

"Marco… do you want to be more… than friends with her?" Marco's eyes grew wide.

"No Jackie. She is my best friend. She has always been by my side. I just can't see my life without her," Marco explained.

"So why does this bother you so much? You know she isn't the only person in your life. I'm…I'm here too."

"And I know that Jackie, but I wouldn't be who I am without her." Jackie placed her hand on Marco's hand.

"Marco… Jackie said softly. Marco felt his body grow hot and his heart raced. "I… I can't see my life without you neither." Marco felt pain in his chest. "I think you know how I feel about you now. A-and you once said that I deserved someone who wants to get to know me. Well… I feel the same about you. I want to get to know you, but I can't because… because you aren't here," Jackie's voice became shaky. Marco was at a loss of words. Jackie Lynne Thomas has openly admitted that she wanted to know him. His dream girl wanted to be his dream come true. Marco felt the joy begin to fill his body, and yet something didn't feel right. Guilt and regret began to build up in his body. Somehow, his dream wasn't his dream anymore and the thought of being with Jackie was almost impossible. Then Jackie placed her hands on his cheeks. Marco snapped out of his train of thought.

"Jackie…" He said quietly.

"Marco… I want to give 'us' a shot," Jackie said softly as she leaned forward and kissed Marco. His eyes were filled with confusion. Part of him was excited. Part of him felt guild and regret that this kiss even happened. He closed his eyes slowly as Jackie continued to caress his lips with hers. Then, a mental of image of Star crying, surrounded by a red light, flashed before his eyes. He opened his eyes quickly as he pulled away from Jackie. She looked up at him with wonder filled eyes.

"Jackie…" Marco began to say.

"It's ok Marco. Just…. just think about it," Jackie said softly with a small smile on her face. She got up and placed a foot on her skateboard. "Well… I gotta get going. I was running some errands before I saw you, so… talk to you later," She smiled sweetly

"Yeah… bye Jackie," Marco matched her sweetness. She then turned away and rode off on her skateboard. Marco watched her as he sat quietly, letting his emotions war over on what just happened.

* * *

"Where are those vermin!" Ludo yelled in his cavernous room with his hawk and spider watching him. "It has been almost 2 hours since we got something back!" Ludo began to swing his wand, causing beams of green light to fly in all directions. The hawk and spider ducked their heads. Ludo's wand began to glow. Ludo stopped his tantrum to look at his wand. "I should fetch the book myself? But I am the master! The dirty work should be left to the henchmen. Otherwise, what's the point of having all these rats to do my bidding?" The wand began to glow and warble again. "Well, yes I want to destroy Mewni and Star Butterfly." The wand reacted to his response. "Hm. That is true. I do have a wand that is as powerful as hers." Their conversation was interrupted by a loud knocking.

"Master Ludo!" A monster burst through the door to Ludo's room. This monster stood at least 7 feet tall and was fairly muscular. It had ram like horns and a beastly face. Its brown fur was darker on his back, beard, and head.

"What is it Bob!" Ludo aimed his wand angrily at the monster.

"Forgive me. But we have intel on the Diaz home," he held up a rat by its tail. The rat looked like he had been gnawed on, it's hair still wet with slobber, unable to open on eye.

"Finally!" Ludo jumped up to the rat excitedly. "You've kept me waiting. I don't like to wait, especially since have been waiting for years!" Ludo shot the rat out of Bob's hand. The rat squeaked as it hit the wall. "Now, tell me what took you so long?" The rat began to squeak. So, she has returned? And the book?" The rat squeaked again. "In her possession again?! So, she would rather we take it by force. Then let's give her what she wants. Bob!"

"Yes Ludo!" Bob jumped up in fear.

"Get the book from her and ring her to me!" Lude, then, shot beams of green light at Bob's feet as the monster ran out in fear. "Once we get that book, the universe is mine!" His wand began to glow as Ludo chuckled. "Of course, I meant to say ours." Ludo laughed hysterically as Bob grabbed hold of a pair of dimensional scissors from another room and cut a portal to Earth.

* * *

Marco began to wonder around town because he wasn't ready to go home. He was confused. He had always wanted Jackie and now she was ready to herself to him. A girl who he watched grow up into a beautiful woman. Albeit, he had always watched her from a distance. In fact, that was the only thing he could do was watch from afar because he could never build the nerve to talk to her. She was everything, he told himself, that he wanted. So why does it feel like

'this' would be a bad idea. His old feeling for her did resurface, but they came with a lot of guild. Now that he has a chance with her, and that she was feeling the same, he couldn't help but feel that he can't. Then the question popped itself in his head. _**What would Star say? She would say do it, right? What's it matter to her though. Star is my best friend and she had always wanted me to talk to Jackie. So why can't I do this?**_ Marco shook his head. He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice Tom was walking to his right and Janna to his left.

"don't you think it is cute when he sulks?" Janna asked tom. Marco's eyes grew wide. He jumped away from Tom and Janna with a loud gasp.

"Tom! Janna! Where did you come from!" Marco screamed.

"We were getting some lunch when we saw you dragging your feet," Tom laughed. "Oh, and I think I like it better when he is surprised," Tom pointed as he leaned over to Janna.

"Stop talking about me!" Marco screamed as Tom and Janna laughed again. "Wait. You two were together?"

"I just happened to run into her. Seeing how you took off on your little tantrum and Star decided to lock herself in her room I didn't have anything to do. Then your little sister feel asleep, so I didn't have anyone to play with. So, I decided to take a little walk in your hometown. Janna and I crossed paths and here we are," Tom explained.

"What are you doing here, Marco Diaz?" Janna leaned towards him. Marco backed up.

"Nothing. Just need to take a walk to clear up my head," Marco scratched his head.

"Did it do you any good?" Janna asked.

"Not really. I am more at a lost now than I have ever been."

"Lady troubles," tom turned to Janna who just smiled deviously. Marco furrowed his brows at them.

"What?" Marco grew frustrated.

"We get it. You run into Jackie and old feelings pop up. What you need is a love potion," Janna poked fun at him.

"Wow. You two could be more wrong," Marco tuned away from them and began to walk away. "And for the record, Jackie wants to be my girlfriend. I don't have lady issues."

"He's in denial," Janna crossed her arms.

"For real though," Tom placed a hand on his hip. He and Janna turned to walk away until they heard a loud crash. Down the street from them, a monster stood on top of a car.

"A monster!" Marco yelled from behind Tom and Janna. The two of them jump in surprise.

"I thought you left!" Janna yelled at him.

"Never mind that! We got to do something!"

"We probably should but you don't have your sword and I really don't feel like doing anything right now," Janna smiled coolly at Tom.

"Plus, he looks really big. Might be a bit of a challenge for you," Janna poked fun at them.

"Hey, I am a demon. I can beat him up with one hand tied behind my back," Tom turned to Janna.

"Uh-huh. Sure. I'll believe it when I see it," Janna smiled slyly at Tom. He grunted as he snapped a finger and a chain formed around his waist and tied his left arm behind his back.

"I'll show you," Tom grunted as he walked towards the monster. Marco stood next to Janna.

"Peer pressure," Marco shook his head.

"It's how I get what I want out of people. I bet this is going to be hilarious," Janna smiled as they watched Tom approach the monster.

"Point one Janna." The Monster was looking around, a bit confused and flustered. He punched down on the hood of the car to show that he was getting angry.

"This doesn't look like the home of Star Butterfly! Where did I end up at!" Bob began to yell.

"Hey!" Tom yelled at Bob who turned to him quickly to see Tom hold a fist up at him. "You got some nerve showing up like this and trashing the town. Now I am going to unleash my fury upon y-," Bob took a massive swing at Tom, sending him flying back toward Marco and Janna.

"Tom!" They both yelled as they ran up to him. The kneeled down to his still body.

"Are you ok?" Marco asked.

"One handed…" Tom said dizzily.

"Yeah. One of _his_ hands," Janna laughed as she pointed at the monster. Marco sighed as he stood up.

"Janna, do you have Star's old number?"

"I believe I do. Why?"

"I need you to call her. If she is in her room she should hear it go off. It's magical after all; it never dies."

"Ok, but what are you going to do?"

"Hopefully stall him until she gets here," Marco began to walk to the monster. Janna pulled out her cell phone, searched Star's name and dialed.

* * *

Star was lying on her bed going through her book of spells. She flipped through the pages nonchalantly, finding little interest in reading. She then ran into Eclipsa's chapter. She stared at the cover to her chapter, barely showing interest. She shrugged her shoulders as she began to flip through the chapter. She stopped on a page containing a spell that caused confusion in the enemy. Star found herself attracted to the incantation as she read it silently to herself. Then she was taken by surprise when she heard a rumbling at her bedside cabinet. She got up to open a drawer and found her old magic compact phone ringing. Her eyes grew wide as she opened it and held it to her ear.

"Uh… hello?"

"Star! Its Janna!" Janna yelled from the other side.

"Janna! You remember my cell number?" Star smiled humbly.

"Not now, Star. Marco needs your help! There is a monster here downtown and he is making a mess," Janna explained. Star looked up with a loud gasp.

* * *

Marco ducked as Bob swung on of his massive arms, hoping to impale Marco with a back hand. Marco jumped up and kicked Bob in the face. He took a few steps back as Marco began to hit him with a flurry of punches and karate chops to Bob's face and abdomen. Marco spun on one leg to launch a kick into Bob's chin but he caught Marco's leg.

"Oh crap," Marco said as Bob swung Marco into the air. Marco tried to redirect his descent as he rolled from feet to his back against the side of a sedan, putting a big dent into the car's door. "Ow," Marco complained as he lay on his shoulder and his feet through the car's window. Then the monster gave a loud roar as it charged Marco. "Oh man!" Marco yelled as he rolled to his side in time to avoid the attack. Bob crashed into the side of the car where he flipped it in frustration.

"I don't have time for this! I'm on a time schedule!" Bob yelled as he slammed his fist into the street, cracking the asphalt with sheer force.

"By Ludo?" Marco asked.

"Leave me be, insect!" Bob charged him again, ignoring Marco's question. Marco kicked off on of the cars that was next to him to launch himself into the air. Quicker than Bob could think, Marco jumped onto his shoulder, grabbed a horn, and swung with applying his full weight. Bob skidded across the asphalt on his side that Marco had flipped away from. For a moment, Bob remained silent. Marco approached softly as the creature lay still with its eyes shut. Marco sighed in relief, believing that the monster was out cold.

"Marco!" Star yelled from down the street. Marco looked u in response to see Star running to him.

"Star!" Marco waved back with a smile on his face. Star had a wide smile on her face as well. Then her smile faded and was replaced with a look of terror as Marco failed to hear shifting in the crumbled asphalt behind him. His eyes grew wide as he felt a heavy, heated breath on his neck. What followed was a powerful roar and a swipe from a massive arm. More so, he felt like his back was being pierced by a pillar of jabbed rocks.

"Marco!" Star yelled as she watched his body fly through the air like a rag doll into the hood of a parked car; the car crumbled by the force. Star's panting grew too great to breath and, uncharacteristically, an anger grew powerfully insider her. She lifted her wand up at Bob and shot a green beam at him. Bob jumped behind a car to avoid the attack. He then ripped a mailbox from the sidewalk and threw it at Star. Star shot at it in defense and the mailbox burst into green flames. "You're gonna pay for what you did!" Star shot another green bolt at Bob. The beam cut the car in half, forcing Bob to roll away from it. Her attacks were growing more powerful. He flipped another car in hope to hit Star with it but she shot another beam through it. Bob was beginning to panic.

"I am just doing what I am told!" Bob tried to defend himself as he rolled away to avoid another attack. Star had tears of anger running down her cheeks. She was so angry that she didn't notice green vapors were emitting from her wand and began to float around her head.

"Madness…. Confusion… use it," the vapors whispered to her. Her eyes grew wide as she figured eight her wand. _**Feel what I am feeling…**_ Star told herself.

"Madness, confusion will be your plague…" her wand was glowing green. "…let it rule 'til you fade," green vapors began to spew from her wand. "… Sanity and clarity will begin to wither as your darkness reach out from inward!" The green vapor exploded out into the street.

"Star!" Janna yelled as she covered her face from the vapor. Bob ran around the street feeling frantic from the effects of the spell. His panting grew heavier as paranoia struck. The vapor moved to quick, he couldn't help to breath it in. With each breath he took, everything felt wrong; nothing was clear to him. Sounds made its way to him from all directions; his head began to spin. Footsteps echoed from ahead of him and behind him. He felt as if he was going insane.

"Bob…" whispers called out to him.

"Who's there! He yelled as he began to run. He stopped to try and figure out where the voices were coming. He heard a loud clutter. Bob spun quickly as if someone was sneaking up from behind him. "Leave me alone!" Bob yelled as he walked backwards. Due to the green coloration and density of the vapors, he didn't see a car that he had walked into. In a panic, he swiftly stuck his hand sunder it to flip it in complete terror. He let out a roar of fear and frustration as he held his head from the throbbing pain that continue to grow.

Star stood in silence with a dead stare, waiting to see Bob sprint out to her. Nothing happened. Patience began to wear thin as her anger towards the creature began to resurface.

"You're going to pay for what you did to Marco," Star swore as she stood quietly. Then, there was a roar. She tilted her head up as she began to walk deeper into the green mist. "I'm going to find you, monster," Star said in a low voice to herself.

Janna was pulling Tom into one of the store to get away from the green mist. Once he was in, she fell on her bottom and sat a minute so she could catch her breath. She looked won at tom who was till out and laughed. Then she looked out the window. She was thinking of Star's incantation and what she was saying. _**Madness and confusion, huh?**_ Janna looked back down at Tom. There was no time to think.

"Sorry Tom, but I gotta find Marco and Star," Janna said as she stood u and ran out the store. Janna ran down the street to where she believed she saw where Marco fell. The she stopped. Janna was feeling like something was following her. "Who's there!" Janna turned around quickly to see nothing. Then whispers filled her ears, sending her into another fast turn. "That's not funny! Show yourself!" But nothing. Janna began to feel panic build up. Every nerve was firing off in her body. Sweat began to run down her face until an epiphany struck. "Madness and confusion! This has to be the doing of Star's spell. That's what this mist is," Janna smirked as she removed her beanie and tie the strings to the back of her head to cover her mouth. "Nice try, but I already have voices in my head. I don't need anymore," Janna boasted as the paranoia began to fade away and she could no longer hear whispers. "But… this isn't like Star to use a spell like this," Janna began to feel concerned. She shook away the thoughts and continued to search for Marco. After a few minutes, Janna could hear groaning. She looked around until she finally found Marco's limp body still laying in a cradle he made from crashing into the car. "Marco!" Janna yelled as she ran up to him. "Marco! You got to wake up!" Janna began to shake him by the shoulders. Marco began to open his eyes slowly.

"Janna…." Marco said faintly.

"Marco! You're ok!" Janna shook him again.

"What's going on?"

"It's Star. She got so angry at the monster for what he did to you that she cast this weird spell that's causing confusion to anyone who breaths in the air," Janna explained as she pulled his sweater over his nose.

"Star? I…" Marco began to sit up but winced in pain as his body ached.

"Slow down Marco. We'll find her but you gotta give yourself a minute," Janna tried to lay him back down.

"No Janna. She… she needs me," Marco fought through the pain as he stood up. He began to walk slowly. Janna tucked herself under his armpit to help support him.

"Alright. We'll go now," Janna said as they continued walking into the mist.

Star continued to walk with a dead stare of frustration and anger. She could hear the monster roaring in fear. Star brought her wand to her front and shot a green beam into the mist. She didn't care if there was confused pedestrians running around. She didn't care if it hit the monster. She didn't care if it hit anything at all. She was upset. The only thing that ran through her mind was Marco's unconscious body flying through the air and that she wasn't there to stop it. She set off another beam wildly into the mist. And then again and again. Tears began to run down her face again.

"RRRrrrrrrraaaaaaaagggggghhhhh!" She screamed in anger as she shot another barrage into the mist until she collapsed from exhaustion. "I'm sorry Marco…." She put her fists into her face as she sobbed by herself.

Marco was able to pick up more speed the more he moved around. Then, he paused for a moment to listen to his surroundings.

"Marco?" Janna looked up at him.

"Shush!" Marco stood straight to listen to a scream coming from within the mist. "Star…" Marco said quietly. "Star! Marco yelled as he began to run, leaving Janna behind.

"Marco!" Janna yelled as she chased after him.

Star was breathing heavily as she sat in the street. Then whispering started to swirl around her as she cried into her hands.

"It's your fault..." a whisper said to her. "…he's hurt because of you…" Star shook her head. "If he dies it will be your fault…"

"No..." Star cried.

"He will always be in pain because of you…" another voice said. Star looked up to see where the vices were coming from. Star felt someone behind her. She turned slowly to see a pair of yellow eyes staring at her.

"No…." Star's breath increased in fear as the suit stood silently at her until it spoke.

"You will ruin the lives of everyone you love," The creature said as it used its scaly tail to wipe a tear away from her face. Star glared at him with hatred.  
"NNNnnnnnoooooooo!" Star raised her wand up to the monster.

* * *

Marco ran down the street without paying attention to his surroundings. He jumped over the hoods of cars, jumped over broken car parts and street debris from the attacking monster. None of that mattered. The only thing that he wanted to do was get to Star. He needed for her to be safe. True, she has admitted that she didn't want him to be her hero, but Marco was desperate to be the one to save her. Then, he was able to make out a figure sitting on the floor. He couldn't tell what she was doing but he knew it was her. His lungs burned but his heart felt relief.

"Star!" Marco smiled as she sprinted as hard as he could to her. Janna finally caught up to him, only to catch him running again. Instead of being annoyed, she felt relief when she saw what he was running for.

"He found her," Janna said with relief.

"Star!" He called again in hope that she would look at him.

"NNNnnnnnoooooooo!" Star yelled as she lifted her wand. Marco began to slow down as his smile faded.

"Star…" he had stopped 10 feet from her. Then a flash of green. Star shot a bolt of cackling light at what she believed was a monster. Star's face filled with dread ass eh saw Marco standing in front of the beam.

"Marco…." she could barely say. Once again, he was taken off his feet and lay motionless on the floor with green lightning crackling around his body and a burn across his chest.

"Marco!" Janna yelled in fear as he approached from behind him. Her loud gasping forced her to stop running to her mouth and stomach in shock.

"Marco!" Star yelled as she dropped her wand. With a loud cling to the ground and from Star's screaming, the mist blew away, leaving Star at the center of the clearing. Janna ran up to him again and landed on her knees at his head.

"Marco! Marco wake up!" Janna was shaking his head, but with a fear of touching him. "Please wake up!" Janna continued shaking.

"Why…" Star cried, panting heavily. Star forced herself to her feet. Another whisper made its way to her one last time.

"Like I said, you will ruin everyone you love." Star ignored the voice as she dragged her heavy feet, wailing in pain.

"Marco!" Star cried his name. After what felt like a century, Star was able to fall to her knees next to him. "Janna…is…is," She couldn't control her weeping.

"He's not waking up, Star. He won't wake up," Janna cried as she brushed his hair.

"Marco…" Star cried. "Wake up. I… I need you. You complete me. You… you can't leave me!" Star lay her head to his stomach as tears and blood soaked into his sweater. "Just wake up… don't leave me…"

"I'm…." Star and Janna's eyes open widely. Star lifter her head up to look at Marco. "…. not going …. anywhere… I'm here for you…" Marco could barely speak.

"Marco!" Star cried as she wrapped her arms around his head. Star cried in pain and happiness. Janna grabbed both Star and Marco as well.

"You idiot! Don't go scaring us like that," Janna cried in joy. "You scared us."

"I'm so sorry Marco," Star cried, refusing to let him go.

"The only… thing that matter…is… is that you're safe," Marco said weakly. Star held him tightly and wept as Marco continued to fall in and out of consciousness.

* * *

Bob continued running about downtown of Echo Creek when a massive gust blew by him. Suddenly, his mind became clear; he looked around with a heavy pant until he fell backwards from the sheer exhaustion.

"The voices... the voices… they are gone," Bob lay in the street in relief as he let out a heavy sigh and grew relaxed. Then he tensed up as a new thought plagued his mind. "Master Ludo will not be happy with this." Bob stood up once again as he pulled off a part of a spike on his forearm to reveal a pair of dimensional scissors. He cut a portal with his scissors and, with much tension, he walked through the portal to deliver the news to his master.

Marco lay in a bed at the Echo Creek hospital, surrounded by his family. Mr. and Mrs. Diaz sat next to his bed while Star sat at a distant corner from them. Her eyes were black with exhaustion and red from the crying _ **. Marco… how could I do this to you.**_ Star thought to herself. Mrs. Diaz turned to Star with much concern. She stood form the bedside to put her arms around Star. Star began to breath heavily.

"Please don't cry anymore. He is ok now. Doctor said that he was lucky that he didn't suffer any internal bleeding with the beating he took. He's going to be fine," Mrs. Diaz patted Star on the head.

"This is all my fault. He wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me," Star said softly.

"I like to think that he _wouldn'_ t be here if it wasn't it weren't for you." Star wrapped her arms around Mrs. Diaz and held tightly. "There, there. Be still now. I am happy that you 're both safe."

"Thank you for being so kind hearten," Star began to cry again. "I just wish they weren't here," Star looked out the room as crowds of news reporters were being denied entry by policemen. When the news found out that the 2 missing children from 2 years ago appeared at the hospital, they gathered in flocks and rushed to the hospital to get the scoop. In the first 30 minutes since Marco was admitted, questions of 'Where have you been?,' What have you been doing?,' Who had abducted you all these years?,' and What happened to you?' burst into the room. Only when the Diaz's called the cops to control the crowds did the family get peace and quiet; almost 2 hours later. Even the hospital staff were willing to aid in the Diaz's privacy. The cops still wished to gather information they needed to fill in their report, but were eager to aid them in the crowd control.

* * *

After a while longer, their friends ended up at the hospital and, with the permission of the Diaz's, were allowed to enter the room. Jackie sat at the head of the bed next to Marco. Alfonso and Ferguson stood next to her while Janna and Tom stood on the other side of the bed.

"Hey Marco. We are here. It's your friends," Jackie said softly as she fought the urge to cry.

"Come on, Marco. You're tougher than this. You put up with me and my antics on a daily basis. I have seen you kick some serious butt before," Tom said with sincerity. Janna chuckled.

"I'm… not dead, dude," Marco said faintly as a light smirk crept onto his face. His eyes remained shut due to his exhaustion. The group smiled in relief.

"Seriously, dude, I'm sorry I wasn't there to help. I took the matters too lightly and you suffered the consequences," Tom frowned from is shame.

"It… happens," Marco opened one eye to look at him. Tom smiled as he pat Marco on the shoulder.

"At least you took your beating like a champ," Janna joked and succeeded at making the group chuckle.

"I heard that you actually cried," Ferguson pointed at Janna.

"Pfft. I wasn't crying. I just go some dirt in my eye," Janna crossed her arms.

"Just admit it, Janna. You actually have feelings," Alfonso teased.

"Well… I wanna see you guys do better while watching a friend taking the punishment the he got," Janna turned her head away to hide her saddened face. Tom put his hand on her shoulder as Alfonso and Ferguson hung their heads in shame.

"It's ok. I'm… fine now," Marco weakly lifted a hand up. As he was going to drop it, Jackie grabbed hold of his hand and held it to her mouth.

"I'm just glad you're ok," Jackie whispered. Star lowered her head as she listened to everything from her corner. Star felt trapped. To her right lay crowds of people and news reporters who were ready to bombard her with questions of their disappearance. To her left lay their friends who she couldn't face because she was the one to put Marco in the hospital. Granted her friends would never blame her for any of this but the part that made everything difficult was the fact that Jackie Lynn Thomas did everything she could to prove she had feelings for Marco. _**This is everything Marco has ever wanted, and… and I pushed him to talk to her. So why doesn't this make me happy? Why does this hurt so much?**_ Star turned her head away in painful thought. All she could do was wait until their friends to leave for her to feel comfortable again.

* * *

Visiting hours finally came to a close and the hospital staff were asking visitors to vacate the premises.

"Sorry Mrs. Diaz, but as per hospital policy we can only allow 1 person to stay the night with him," A nurse spoke with Mrs. Diaz.

"That should be fine. One of his friends will be more than willing to stay with him," Mrs. Diaz smiled. She walked over to the teens to gather them and leave for the night. "Ok guys. It's time to go. Marco is going to need rest and the hospital only permits 1 person to stay with him."

"Who's going to stay?" Alfonso jumped in excitement at the thought.

"I'll stay!" Ferguson jumped up.

"No way. I should stay. Marco is my best friend!" Alfonso yelled at Ferguson.

"I think I should stay with him," Jackie included herself. "I mean, I would like too."

"Count me out. Hospital give me the creeps," Janna frowned.

"And I am not entirely comfortable being surrounded by the ill. One look at me and they will surely die in fear," Tom shrugged.

"I'd pay to see that. Man, the look on their faces would be priceless," Janna laughed.

"you have been a bad boy. Time to pay for your sins!" Tom said with a deep voice and a scary face pointing a fiery finger. Janna laughed at the thought.

"Yeah, you two are not doing that," Mrs. Diaz shunned them. Tom and Janna lowered their heads. She then turned to Jackie. "Actually, sweetie, I would rather have Star stay here with him."

"What?" Jackie and Star looked at Mrs. Diaz.

"No offense Jackie, but I feel he would be safer with her. You know, magic," Mrs. Diaz waved her hands.

"It's… ok… Jackie. Star… should stay. I promise… I will call…," Marco was too weak to finish. Jackie put a hand on his forehead.

"Ok, Marco. Just get some rest," Jackie smiled warmly as Marco smiled faintly. Star gripped her shirt over her chest watching the warm exchanges between Jackie and Marco. The group and Mrs. Diaz bid their farewells and left Star and Marco alone.

* * *

Star sat next to Marco's bed, sleeping as Marco opened his eyes half ways to watch her sleep. His eyes wandered around the room to one of the walls where a clock hung. It said it was 11:41 pm. Star's head fell a little, causing her to jump back up to a sitting position. Marco turned to her once again. He began to sit up slowly as he winced through the pain and his new-found strength. He slopped one leg over the bed and an alarm went off. Star snorted hard as the shock made her jump out of her sleep.

"Marco!" Star yelled as she wiped her mouth from any drool that began to make its way out of her mouth.

"Sorry…," Marco smiled faintly as he spoke softly. The nurse came running into the room.

"Mr. Diaz! What are you doing!?" The nurse brought his leg back onto the bed.

"I wanted… to get her… a blanket,' his breath was still labored.

"Marco! I could have gotten that myself!" Star got upset.

"She's right Mr. Diaz. You need to stay in bed and get some rest," The nurse tried to get Marco to lay down again. Star put her hands on his shoulders to help him back down.

"You need to stop this, Marco. You need to rest and not worry about me." Tears began to run down her face again. Marco brought a hand to her cheek and wiped her tears away. The nurse draped the blanket over Marco again.

"If you need anything else, just let me know," the nurse said before she left the room. Star smiled as she watched the nurse leave until she turned back to Marco who watched her attentively.

"What?" Star asked softly.

"Glad… you're safe," Marco said faintly.

"Stop that. Stop worrying about me," Star began to grow upset again.

"Can't… help it."

"Yes, you can. I can take care of myself. You should be worried about yourself."

"I'll survive," Marco tried to joke.

"Marco… I almost killed you. Ok? Don't you understand that! You were doing fine until I showed up. Why is it that you were face to face with death and yet you are still worried about me?! Why aren't you angry with me!?" Star began yelling at him.

"I care too much about you," Marco was able to say with certainty. Star hung her head as her tears began to soak into his blanket. Marco closed his eyes as he listened to her soft sobs, feeling that his eyes burned as her pain flowed through his body until tears began to break free from his eyes.

"I was so scared…" Star looked up to the ceiling. "I… I thought I had lost you. And it was going to be my doing." Star grabbed hold of Marco's hand. "If anything had happen to you… I would never be able to forgive myself. "Marco pulled on her arm. Star looked down at him.

"Come lay next to me," Marco said softly. Star's cheeks turned bright red. She was at a loss of words, but she obeyed as her body lifted itself up and lay down softly next to him. Marco turned slowly to his side so he could stare face-to-face with Star. Her eyes were wide open as she stared into his eyes. Marco slowly lifted his hand and lay it on Star's head where he pulled her so their foreheads could touch. "You're my best friend. I would travel to the ends of the Earth for you."

"Me too," Star sighed happily. She watched as his eyes were slowly opening and closing. "Get some rest, Marco."

"Just as long as you stay here," Marco said quietly. "I feel safe when you are close."

"I feel the same," Star smiled as she closed her eyes. Silence filled the room as they both dozed off. After a bit, star began to talk in her sleep. "Marco... be careful… stay strong… wounds will mend..." Then her cheeks began to glow brightly as light encircled Marco. Marco's breath increased at the intense sensation as the cuts and scrapes began to close, his bruise faded. When the light dissipated, Marco lay completely healed with no signs of damaging.

* * *

At 4 O'clock in the morning, Marco opened his eyes slowly and saw a young girl sleeping humbly in front of him and placed a smile on his face. He looked around in his room as he felt his sense elevating. It was then that he realized that his strength had returned This put him in a bit of a shock. He sat up slowly expecting to feel pain, but nothing. He rubbed his hand over his chest to feel his burn, but nothing. Marco sighed happily at the thought. He reached over to the foot of his bed so he could turn the alarm off. As quietly and softly as possible, Marco slipped out of bed to use the restroom. Excitement build up as he moved about his room. He then turned to Star. He sat at the head next to her as he shook her softly.

"Keep your fingers off my corn…" Star said softly.

"Star," Marco began to call softly. "Star!" Marco said a bit loudly. The shock made Star sit up quickly.

"I didn't know monkeys didn't go into the pie!" Star screamed as her eyes bolted open.

"What?" Marco looked at her quizzically. Star turned to him.

"Why did you wake me, Marco?" Star rubbed her eyes until they popped open again. "Marco!" Star yelled as she grabbed his shoulders. "You're supposed to be…resting," Star examined him and noticed that every was fine. He was awake and alert, the darkness around his eyes were gone, his chest was smooth once again, even his speaking was clear. "Marco…," Star ran her hands over his chest hoping, to an extent, that she wasn't imagining this. "… how?"

"I'm guessing it was you," Marco smiled as he shrugged his shoulders. "When I woke up, everything was fine." Star's breathing grew heavy. Marco looked up to her as her breathing caught his attention. "What?" Star responded by lunging herself into Marco's chest. Marco had a sigh of relief as he brought his arms around her.

"You're… ok..." Star cried softly.

"Thanks to you."

"I still don't believe I did this," Star released him.

"I do. Somehow, I can feel your presence surrounding me. It's just… you." Star wiped her eyes in joy.

"So, what do we do now?" Marco looked away from her and place a pensive look on her face. He then greeted her with a warm smile.

"I have a crazy idea. How about we run. Let's leave right now and go back to our home."

"Even after everything that has happened, you still want to leave… with me?"

"Yeah I do. Right now, there is nowhere else I would rather be than our home."

"And… you're not afraid of me?"

"Star, you could blow my arm off and I would still feel safest with you," Marco succeeded at getting a laugh out of her. Marco smiled as he stood. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

"Right now? I thought you were joking."

"Are you kidding? I want to get out of here before the press gets back. That and I would hate to see what they are going to serve me for breakfast," Marco joked as she made his way to the door. "You can stay if you like but I'm leaving." Star bit her lip as a smile crept across her face. She then stood and ran out the door behind him.

Bob flew across the cave with a green energy around him. He made impact with the cavernous wall with a mighty thud. Bob slowly brought his upper body up.

"How could you fail at retrieving that book!" Lude shot him down with another green beam.

"Forgive me master, but the princess used this kind of confusion spell on me," Bob said with pain in his voice. "It was… horrific." Ludo turned to the monster on the floor.

"Horrific? Hm. Now I'm intrigued. To have a spell like that in my grasp would give me a greater advantage against the Mewman," Ludo smiled viciously. He turned to the monster again. "Lucky for you, ou still have a use to me. Gather a group of monsters. Train them. When they are ready, then we will go to the home of Star Butterfly and rip her book from her fingers," Ludo began to cackle evilly as Bob lay himself down. "There is no laying down on the job! Complete tyranny is calling me!" Ludo shot bolts at Bob again who quickly got up and ran from him. "Patience princess, I am coming for you."


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello everybody! I know it has been awhile, but I haven't forgotten the story. I am a slow typer and I have a short attention span. I cant linger on one thing for too long so I move to the next. I also get really into Horizon: Zero Dawn and I like to sketch. I was wanting to upload pics I have done but am having troubles uploading things. But once I figure it out, I will start drawing pics about this Fanfic to try and help paint a picture of what goes on in this little world of Star and Marco. As always, reviews are always appreciated. Without further adieau, here is Chapter 10!**

* * *

Chapter 10: New Friend, Old Story

A few days had passed since Marco and Star had a been in Echo Creek and since the little incident. All they had cared to do was to continue life as if nothing had happened. Marco and Tom continued to work on Marco's project out back while Star was cooking a stew for lunch in the cauldron in the fire place. The biggest change to the home was that, next to the sofa, wat a large book with a few jewels that housed a certain little blue man. This blue man floated around Star, observing her as she tasted the stew.

"I must admit it, you have really surprised me, Star," Glossaryck finally said. Star took the spoon to the sink.

"What do you mean?" Star took a seat at the table as Glossaryck floated back to her.

"In the two years that you ran away, you manage to build a home, learn to cook, and learn to make clothing, sheets and cushions all without magic. Most princesses, well 99% of them, wouldn't even entertain the idea of fending for themselves."

"It's not like I couldn't do things on my own before. I mean, I have fought monsters before. I even aided on hunting with the royal guards."

"You have been fighting and hunting by the time you learned to crawl. And when you got your wand, you used magic for everything else. But all this?" Glossaryck opened his arms to embrace the setting. "This is on a whole new level."

"I guess I can see where you are coming from. I couldn't have done this without Marco though," Star looked out the window with a warm smile on her face.

"Uh-huh. So, my question is when are you going to start practicing your magic again?" Glossaryck raised an eyebrow. Star's eyes bolted back to him.

"Glossaryck, you know I can't do that."

"Yes you can. In fact, it is my job to teach you."

"I'm still hiding. I don't want my mom to find me… at least not yet. Also….," Star looked away with shame filled eyes. She can still see Marco's body lying on the floor, crackling brightly with green lightning. And she can still here that sinister voice in her head. _**You will ruin everyone.**_ "… I … can't control it." Glossaryck furrowed his brows sympathetically.

"Dark magic can be dangerous. Frankly, I am still surprised that you even used that spell. But you can keep it from happening again. You can wipe yourself clean from those dark urges and feelings," Glossaryck sat on the table in front of her. "Whenever you are ready." Star smiled faintly. "You know, reading the book doesn't expend magical energy. You can at least do that."

"Ugh…," Star slammed her head into the table. Glossaryck smiled deviously.

"When you are here, where do you keep your wand?"

"I have always kept it on me. Marco thinks it is hiding somewhere in the house. I made a hoister so I can carry it under my skirt; on my outer thigh," Star jumped up excitedly. "Don't tell Marco." Star lowered her head as she looked out the window.

"Leave it to a Butterfly to fudge the truth. Now, I demand some soup!" Glossaryck stuck a finger into the air. Star sighed heavily yet again.

Marco had walked around his corn field, observing where they had been taking their corn from. Marco stared at a patch of uneven corn picking. He rubbed his chin as he knelt in the dirt to find animal-like tracks. Tom approached form behind him.

"What is it?" Tom asked.

"Tracks. Something has been coming out her and pick some of our corn," Marco responded as she stood straight.

"A lot?"

"No. If I had to guess, roughly 2 to 3 ears a day. Whatever it is, it's only feeding itself."

"So what do we do?"

"I think I will stand guard tonight. You know, hide in the corn and catch our culprit in the act."

"Dude, that could take all night. And on top of that, you don't know if it will strike again."

"Do you have a better plan?" Marco crossed his arms.

"Yeah. Bear traps," Tom said deviously.

"Bear traps?"

"Bear traps. Guaranteed to stop anything in its tracks. And if it escapes, it will never think about coming here again," Tom placed his fists on his hips proud fully.

"Yeah, no. What if it is a Mewman. I wouldn't want to hurt them," Marco glared at Tom who just groaned at his response.

"Fine. Maybe we should just run a few lines of string around the corn with a bell attached to it. The perpetrator will trip upon the low sting, alarming us with the bell chime, and BOOM! We take them down," Tom slammed his fist into his open palm.

"What is it with you and violence?" Marco looked at Tom quizzically. Tom just shrugged with a smile.

"Marco! Tom! Lunch is ready!" Star yelled from the window.

"Coming!" Marco and Tom yelled as they made their way to the home.

"Alright then. After lunch, we will work on my surprise to Star some more, then we will booby trap our crops."

"Sounds like a plan," Tom agreed.

* * *

Later in the day, Marco and Tom were running string around the cornfield with Star watching them.

"What's the ping of this again?" Star asked Marco as he walked by her. He stopped to turn to her.

"I had told you that a something was stealing from our corn field. Not enough to truly affect us but enough to bother me."

"Classic Marco," Star laughed, he just smiled as he began to walk off.

"Would you have me any other way?" Marco laughed. Star bit her lip with a smile and a hint of red in her cheeks.

"Not at all," she said under her breath. Star didn't notice that Tom had been standing behind her.

"This is just awkward," Tom finally replied.

"TOM!" Star paled in shock. "How long have you been standing there?!"

"Long enough," Was all he said as he walked away from her.

"It meant nothing!"

"Yeah," Tom replied sarcastically. Star covered her face in embarrassment while Tom continued to hang bells across the stings After a few minutes, Marco patted his hands and stood next to Star with Tom standing to her opposite side.

"Ok. So if we are lucky, whatever comes at night to steal our corn will trip on the string, alarming us that something is here, and we will find who has been stealing our corn," Marco placed a hand on his hip proud fully.

"And then we roast it!" Tom hunched over with a devious look on his face while lifting his hands up, setting them on fire.

"I said no burning!" Marco pointed at Tom with a worried look on his face. Star rolled her eyes. She looked out to the distance and saw the lumber that Marco and Tom had and saw a large frame, looking as though it was ready for walls and a roof.

"Looks like that this is coming along well," Star turned to Marco.

"Uh-huh," Marco saw what see was looking at and began to walk away. "Also, the chicken dove coop is done. Now all we have to do is catch a few of those suckers and we will have fresh eggs on a daily basis," Marco smiled at the coop he and Tom put together. The coop was large enough for them to enter to gather eggs from the lard dirt mounts where the chicken dove's will bury their eggs. It was large enough for about 20 chicken doves to live inside. The chicken doves would be able to walk in and out to a caged area where they could be fed and leave their droppings. It stretched to about 40 feet long and 30 feet wide and at least 10 feet in height. Star walked around it in admiration.

"Not bad Diaz. Not bad at all," She smiled. "But... I still want to know what that is," Star pointed at the large frame again.

"Oh? That? That's a 'nunya'."

"Nunya?"

"'Nunya' business," Marco laughed as he ran from her.

"Marco!" Star yelled as she chased after him. Tom followed nonchalantly behind them.

* * *

Night time came quickly as Tom and Marco sat at the table while snacking on some pastries from the town while Star sat on the couch in front of the fireplace reading form her spell book. Star dropped her head to the side and snapped.

"RRrrrrraaaaaagggghhhhh!" Star screamed as she scratched her head. Tom and Marco choked on their pastries.

"Star! What's wrong!" Marco jumped up.

"Reading is so boring!" She screamed back at him.

"That's why you screamed!" Tom yelled at her.

"Don't get testy with me! You don't have to do any studying!"

"What's with all the screaming!" Glossaryck floated from the book and yelled louder than Tom and Star. The trio covered their ears form his voice. "Ha ha. I felt left out," He smiled as everyone glared at him.

"It's starting to feel crowded here," Tom said as he sat back down.

"Like you were invited to stay!" Star yelled at him again. Marco laughed. Glossaryck floated over to the table.

"*Gasp* Mewnian pastries? Where have you been all my life!" Glossaryck picked a pastry up and shoved the entire thing, along with both his hands, into his mouth.

"Well, I lost my appetite," Marco held his stomach.

"More for me, then," Glossaryck laughed as he dragged the pastries to himself. That was until Tom put his hand on the pastries. Glossaryck looked up at him.

"I see worst in the underworld. I still want some of those," Tom glared at him.

"Fair enough!" Glossaryck pushed half of the pile to Tom. Marco watched as he went to sit down net to Star. Star smiled as he sat down.

"Maybe you should give that book a rest. You have been reading for a while now."

"Yeah. Maybe you're right. I think my eyeballs are getting ready to roll to the back of my head," Star smiled as she closed the book. She pushed it onto the floor and sild it under the couch. Marco stared into the fire with a warm smile, not knowing that Star was watching him with fascination with blush spreading across her face.

"You know…," Marco began to say. Star jumped as she turned her gaze away. "… it feels good to be here."

"What do you mean?"

"We have been here so long that… that nothing feels more like home than here," Marco turned to her.

"Yeah… I see what you mean," Star smiled ass eh turned to him. "Even those two make it feel homely, doesn't it? Star and Marco turned to Glossaryck and Tom who had been stuffing their faces with pastries.

"Yeah," Marco chuckled. "Hm. I bet Jackie and the others would like our home." Star's eyes snapped wide open.

"Jackie?" Star turned to him. Marco's eyes grew wide. "What… what brought her up?" Star grew nervous.

"Uh… I… I was just thinking out loud," Marco tried to coverup. Tom and Glossaryck watched with wide eyes, from anticipation, and mouths full of pastries.

"Do you like her still?" Star turned away in fear of his answer. Her breathe grew faster and she felt a pit in her stomach.

"Well… she likes me…," Marco treaded carefully. Star sighed painfully and heavily.

"That's… that's not what I asked."

"I… I don't know. I know there was a time I would have been excited to know that." Sar turned away in hope to keep her tears from falling. "But I'm not sure now." Stare turned to him.

"What?"

"I don't know. A part of me still likes her, but…." Marco stared into the fire place. "… but another part of me feels for… for someone else I guess." Marco leaned back in his seat to stare up at the ceiling. Star felt the blush creep against her face again. "I don't know what I want."

"Marco, I -," Star began to say as they heard bells going off in the field. They all looked out the window until Marco finally remembered what that was.

"Tom!" Marco yelled as he jumped out of his seat.

"Oh! The bells!" Tom jumped from his seat as well as he was first out the door. Marco followed behind as he grabbed his sword that he had leaned against the doorway earlier that day. He wanted to be prepared for whatever they were going to find. Star got up and headed for the door as she stopped to turn to Glossaryck.

"You coming?" Star asked.

"This is none of my concern. Besides, the demon made the fatal mistake of leaving the pastries unguarded. Point one, Glossaryck!" Glossaryck laughed as he rubbed his hands together. Star laughed as she ran out the doorway Star watched Tom and Marco separate and ran across the field on opposite sides. Marco ran with one hand on the hilt of his sword as she scanned the field. He crept to a slow, steady walk. His breathing was under control, his senses honed to is ears to listen to his surroundings and his muscles to initiate combat if needed. Tom, on the other hand, let his presence be known with his heavy footsteps, eyes glowing red, and hands lit ablaze. But even he would stop to listen to the crops. Then there were the bells again. By the sound of it, something was caught in the string. Marco looked up and sprinted to the sound. Tom did the same on his side of the field. Once at the end, Tom and Marco could see each other with a dark figure laying on its back with its legs caught in the string.

"Hey!" Tom yelled as he charged the creature. Marco saw its yellow eyes look up in a panic as it sliced viciously at the string. The figure got up and bolted from them.

"Wait! Stop!" Marco yelled as he chased after the creature. Tom began to throw fireballs at the creature.

"Tom!" Star chased behind the boys. "What did we say!"

"My bad! It's just instinct!" He yelled back.

"Stop! Or I will stop you!" Marco yelled as the figure began to put some distance between them. Marco grunted in frustration as he drew his sword. Marco did a side flip to put some power into his attack. With a swing of his sword, a massive force of wind resistance came crashing down on the creature. The creature gave a loud yelp before she hit the ground.

"Yeah! Go Marco!" Star cheered.

"I could have done that!" Tom caught up to stand next to Marco. Star followed afterwards.

"You would have roasted it, Tom," Star stood in front of him. "You did good, Marco. It's alive. We may be able to get some answers out of it." The trio stood above the creature that lay silently on the grass. Star walked up to the creature.

"No, Star. Don't touch it. You don't know-," Marco began to say as Star turned the creature over. "… oh, she touched it." Star pushed the jet-black hair out of its face.

"Marco, she is lizardon," Star looked up at him.

"Lizardon?"

"Yeah. They are lizard-like monsters here on Mewni. Their communities are usually reserved to their species. But… she looks to …. Humanoid." Star stood up as they examined the monster. She had a long, scaly tail that was typical for these reptilian like creatures, her scales were cool gray in coloration. Her clothing was tattered as if he never owned an extra set of clothing. Her hair was black and cover her head, much like a human. The biggest difference she had was that her face was more human like than reptilian like. She didn't have a snot. Instead she had a very human like nose and mouth. Star knelt down to continue her examinations by opening the mouth of the mouth with her fingers.

"Come on, Star. That's so unsanitary," Marco shuddered.

"Most of her teeth are much like a Mewman's teeth. All except her canines and the set next to them are more reptilian. They're sharp."

"Not that this isn't fun and all, but how about we barbecue her," Tom crossed his arms. Marco and Star turned to him in disgust.

"You're a monster," Star said.

"Actually, I'm a demon," Tom replied. Star hissed at him. "Well, what do we do with it?"

"I think we should take her home with us."

"What?" Marco and Tom replied.

"It's just… I don't want to leave her out here like this."

"I thought Mewmans and Monsters hated each other?" Tom asked.

"That's not always true."

"I don't know, Star. We don't know her or what she is capable of doing. Do you really want to bring her into our house?"

"It would be better than leaving her out here. Marco, she could catch ill or get eaten out here. I don't think I could live with myself if something like that happened."

"It's true. I almost decided to eat her," Tom stood nonchalantly above the monster.

"Again, you're disgusting," Star remarked.

"Uh…," Marco stared at her.

"Please, Marco," Star gave him sad puppy eyes as she whimpered.

"…ok," Marco dropped his arms in defeat as Star jumped up and hugged him. "Come on. Let's get her inside. It's getting chilly out here." Marco turned to Tom.

"I don't think it's too late if we stick her on a pike and rotisserie her,' Tom laughed. Star stared him down. "Ok, ok.! It was just a joke!" Tom and Marco lifted the monster up and walked her to their home with Star following happily behind.

* * *

Morning had pulled in, evident by the birds singing their routine song in the distance, the air was cool and the sun was pouring in from the cracks and openings of the windows. The young reptilian girl lay quietly on the couch, still out from the night before. A bit of light had entered the living room in a way that would gently brush her face. This caused her shift a bit, lightly opening and closing her eyes. Her eyes were still filled with exhaustion when they slowly opened; she tried to come to grips with where she was at. Her eyes widened when she realized she was in an unfamiliar setting. She looked around a bit cautiously, without moving a muscle, to see if anyone was there. She tilted her head upward to see that she was lying in some strangers couch and, more importantly, that there was a demon sitting at the table facing her direction with his eyes closed. She sat up slowly and silently, letting the blanket to slid onto the floor.

"I know you're awake," Tom said with his eyes still closed. The reptilian girl screeched in fear as he spoke. He opened all three of his eyes to see the reptilian girl pressed against the fireplace hissing at him in fear and anger. She heard running in one of the rooms until a young man came out of a room with a hand on the hilt of his sword.

"What's going….," Marco began to say as he saw the reptilian girl staring at him with a hiss.

"Our intruder finally woke up," Tom stood. Marco approached cautiously. Then another set of footsteps came as Star came out of her room to stand behind Marco.

"Marco!" Star shook him by the shoulders until she saw what he was staring at. The monster's eyes grew wide for a moment, feeling surrounded by these staring faces.

"The princess?" The reptilian girl hissed as she focused on Star. Star grew shocked as this young monster recognized who she was.

"Don't worry. We don't want to hurt you," Marco said as she handed his sword to Star.

"Well, they didn't want to," Tom chuckled.

"Not helping, Tom," Star turned to him.

"Must have not got that message seeing how I was knocked out cold last night," The reptilian girl growled at them.

"Yeah… sorry about that. I wasn't trying to hurt you. I was trying to keep you from running," Marco explained.

"Why don't you sit down wo we can talk," Star smiled at the monster.

"Like I would take trust in the words of the Princess Star Butterfly, future Queen of Mewni and slaughterer of monsters," The girl glared at Star.

"Slaughterer? Sure, I have fought monsters but I have never killed one."

"Don't act innocent. You and your family are just as bad as the monsters you hunt," The reptilian stood away from the wall.

"Please… we just want to talk."

"Better than what I had planned," Tom said sarcastically under his breath.

"Shut up Tom!" Both Marco and Star yelled. He held his hands up in self-defense.

"And you said you dint want to hurt me. Demons kill for fun. You expect me to trust you when you are accompanied by a demon!?"

"Fine. If you don't want to sit then at least tell me one thing," Marco grew short. Star looked at him with a bit of shock _ **. Usually Marco doesn't lose his cool so quickly**_. Star thought to herself. Now the reptilian girl glared at him.

"What?"

"Those are our cornfields that you have been stealing from. That is our profit and our food. I would like to have a good reason from you for taking our wellbeing so I won't have to take your hands off!" Marco drew his sword from Star's hands.

"Marco!" Star grabbed his by the arms as Marco breathed heavily. The reptilian girl's expression change into one of fear. Marco looked at Star then to the reptilian girl. His breathing slowed as he realized what he was doing.

"Uh… I'm… I'm sorry," Marco lowered his sword.

"What happened?" Star tugged on his arm.

"I… I don't know," Marco sat on the couch, despite the fact that it was in front of the young monster.

"I was hungry…" The reptilian girl said. The looked up at her. "I was hungry, ok!?" Star walked up to the reptilian girl who backed up from her. Star put her hands on the girls face, causing her to open her eyes widely at Star's humble smile.

"What's your name?"

"Celena," Celena said softly.

"Awe… that's the name of my great-great-grandmother," Star brushed Celena's hair away from her face. Out of embarrassment and annoyance, Celena pushed Star's hand away.

"It's… it's just not fair! You Mewmans eat so much corn and us… us monsters starve!" Celena's eyes began to water. Star sighed. It's true. Since the early settlement of the first Mewmans, monsters and Mewmans have been at war. History books had always said monsters were evil and the Mewmans were able to drive t hem away with their mass armies and their magic. Corn happened to be a food of celebration for the Mewmans seeing how monsters were the first to grow and eat this food. It was their prize, it is the only reason why both sides loved it so much. Star gave a small smile because, through her experiences, she found that there are monsters with a good side to them. One of those said monsters even became one of her friends.

"Celena," Star called softly. The girl looked at Star with sad eyes. "I want you stay and have breakfast with us." Celena's expression softened as a bit of shock and gratitude spread across her face with a sad, small smile. She lowered her head into a nod as a few tears fell to the floor.

* * *

Celena sat at the table with Tom while Star and Marco worked on their breakfast. Celena, every now and then, turned to look at Tom to convincer herself he was a demon who was hanging around Mewmans without breaking into a fit of violence. Tom finally took notice of this and turned quickly to Celena, causing her to jump up in her seat.

"Whatcha' looking at?!" Tom couldn't help but snap. Marco and Star looked back.

"I'm sorry!" Celena yelled back, making Marco snicker at the scene.

"What's so funny Marco?" tom turned to him.

"Oh, you know. I was just wondering how does it feel to get a taste of your own medicine?" Marco raised an eyebrow as he leaned against the counter.

"Marco, your elbow is in the pancake mix," Star tapped him on the shoulder. Marco looked down as his face reddened. Celena put a big smile on her face as a chuckle snuck its way out.

"Gasp! Celena just laughed," Star pointed with glee.

"Did you really just yell 'Gasp!'?" Tom turned to her.

"All the kids are doing it," Star smiled nervously at a laughing Marco. "Shut up, Tom!" Star brushed him off. Celena began to giggle again.

"I'm sorry. It's just you guys are the most unusual Mewmans I have ever seen. I mean, how many Mewmans actually hand out with demons?" Celena pointed at Tom.

"For starters, I am not Mewman," Marco said as he placed a plate in front of Celena. "I'm a human."

"Human?" Celena looked up at him.

"yeah. I am from another dimension; wow, I never believed I would be able to say something like that. I'm from a planet called Earth," Marco explained.

"Oh, then that explains why you look like you're not from around here," Celena looked at him. "That is, you don't act or portray yourself like a Mewman."

"Don't know if I should take that as compliment."

"All the same, why is the Princess Star Butterfly hanging around in a small home like this?" Celena asked Star.

"Huh. Well that is a long story," Star scratched the back of her head.

"And why are you around these two?" Celena pointed at Tom and Marco. "I heard that you disappeared from your journey's off dimension. Two years you have been gone, but why if it wasn't a kidnapping or an assassination?" Star put a somber look on her face.

"Again, that is a long story, Celena. One of which I have told many times already. I'm sorry to say that but I don't know if I can trust you with that?" Star and Marco served the food and sat down at the table with Tom and Celena.

"Why not?"

"Because there is too much at stake. So much to be lost. I would like to see if we can get to know you, instead. Maybe even become friends before I can share this with you," Star smiled humbly at Celena.

"Wow…" Celena said quietly. "I have heard that you were some kind of crazed monster fighter. That you ran solely on impulse and caused trouble wherever you go. But you are actually very… humble," Celena smiled at the look of shock on Star's face.

"Most of that is still true," Marco chuckled as Star punched him in the arm.

"Marco," Star blushed before she turned back to Celena. "I don't know about all of that. I would say I am of a fun seeker but the part about the monster fighting… I guess that is true. You know, if hadn't fought the monsters before I wouldn't be here now…as in I would probably be dead," Star smiled at Celena. Celena chuckled.

"Ok. Well, since I am still interested in your story, what would you like to know?" Celena began to eat from her plate. Tears of joy fell from her face the moment she took a bit from her pancakes. "So good!" The group chuckled at her.

"Describe yourself a bit. You know; your age, your friends, family, anything," Star began to eat.

"Let's see. Ok. I am 16 years old, I really don't have friends, and I have no family," Celena smiled as she ate. The others stopped.

"You don't have a family?" Marco asked.

"Nope," Celena said nonchalantly.

"What happened?" Star asked.

"Truthfully, I don't know. We lizardons hatch from eggs, so when I was born, I was born alone. I did have a nice little monster family take care of me but left when they tried to eat me."

"You say this as if it was no big thing," Tom remarked.

"You try living with crocodilians as parents and see if they don't try to eat you. I'm not mad though. They taught me how to survive the scavenger way."

"Like, you stole food and ate whatever was thrown out?" Marco felt a wad of guilt build up inside himself.

"Precisely. By the way, this stuff is amazing," Celena pointed at her pancakes. "But its fine. I have been on my own for a few years now. Usually I am more vigilant, but you guys went and booby trapped your fields. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been caught," She said as she shoved more food into her mouth.

"Where do you sleep at night?" Star asked.

"Usually in the trees so I can stay high off the floor. I have this hammock that I wrap myself in so I don't fall out. It's also coated with leaves to stay hidden in the branches," Celena proudly admitted. Star looked down at her plate. She stayed quiet for a moment while Celena continued to eat blissfully. Marco stared at Star, feeling her concern that came off her. Tom just watched Celena nonchalantly. Star looked up to Marco wo just watched her as she got lost in thought. Listening to Celena more-or-less reminded them of their struggle when they first arrived on Mewni; fearing the night of things that hunt and fearing the day, not knowing where their next me was coming from. The difference was that Marco and Star had each other. She then smiled humbly at Marco who just smiled in response as if he knew what was coming next.

"Hey Celena," Star called softly as the young monster looked up at Sar with a mouth full of food. "Why don't you stay here for a while?" Tom choked on his food.

"Whoa, whoa. There is no room here," Tom protested.

"Then go home, Tom!" Star yelled at him.

"What?" Celena was dumbfounded. "You mean a Mewman would offer a monster a place to stay?"

"You can drop that, Celena. This has nothing to do with the Mewmans and monsters. This about helping someone who could use a warm place to stay," Marco jumped in.

"Where is she going to sleep? I am not forfeiting the couch," Tom protested again.

"She can stay in my room. I will just bunk up with Marco," Star chuckled as she heard Marco inhale his food only to cough it back out.

"What?" Both Tom and Marco yelled.

"Why not? It'll be like old times," Star sing-song to Marco who turned bright red.

"Hey, I have a better idea! How about we give the lizard Marco's room, he gets the couch, and I bunk up with you!" Tom jumped from his seat. Star felt her skin crawl at the idea of the shameless demon.

"Or you can just go home!" Star repeated her previous statement. Tom sat back down with a pout on his face. Celena couldn't help but laugh. Everyone looked at her.

"Oh man, you guys are too much," Celena held her sides as they began to burn. "Thanks for the offer, but I don't think I want to impose."

"You are not. I'm offering you a place to stay until we can figure what to do next," Star replied, leaving Celena to think.

"But… you are a missing princess. Do you really think you can trust a monster staying under the same roof?"

"Celena, you are too kind to do something like that. Besides, if my ability to wield magic isn't scary enough, I have two of the best bodyguards in all of Mewni. This one took down 4 members of the royal guards before he got that sword," Star pointed proudly at Marco who stood up boastfully.

"Guilty," was all he said in a cool voice.

"And that thing is a demon. No explanation needed."

"Why are you always referring me to a 'thing?'" Tom whined. Celena sat quietly as she ran the idea through her head. She looked up at Star with a look of complete gratitude.

"Ok. Yeah. Only if you will have me," Celena's eyes grew watery.

"Yay! Hugs!" Star jumped from her seat and hugged Celena. At first, Celena feared the physical contact but was overwhelmed with the warm embrace and wrapped her arms around Star.

"Huh… so this is what it feels like to not fear getting eaten."

* * *

Star and Celena stood in her room with a candle providing them light. Star was wanting to make the bed before Celena could sleep.

"You know Princess, you don't have to do all this for me. I'm sure I can figure out how to make a bed on my own," Celena smiled as she crossed her arms.

"Nonsense. You're our guest. Besides, it's the least I could do seeing how the boys attacked you the other night," Star laughed as she looked up at Celena.

"Yeah, well, I guess I deserved it," Celena chuckled. "You do know I will only stay a few days, right?"

"Why is that?"

"Well… I know… I know you don't feel like it is important that I am a monster but if someone saw me here with you guys, it could be a means for disaster." Star stood straight and thought quietly to herself.

"I suppose you're right."

"I just wish that other Mewmans knew the real me; not as some cold, blood thirsty killer."

"If I could be honest with you, that probably would have been my old mindset as well," Star shamefully admitted. "I had monsters attacking me all my life. I even have an arch nemesis who is a monster that has been after my wand. Thus, my stereotyping that all monsters are evil."

"So… what changed your mind? About monsters, that is."

"I became friends with one. Marco tried to teach one how to be good, but he was too thick shelled to learn. Then I met another who I fought alongside with on a few occasions. I even babysat his children," Star smiled warmly at the thought of her friend. Celena chuckled.

"I misjudged you Princess," Celena smiled as Star turned to her again. "Unfortunately, I don't see the rest of this world seeing things the way you do."

"Yeah, well, we can try," Star smiled as she pulled open the linen. "Well, it's time for bed. We have some chores tomorrow that you can help us with."

"Sounds fair," Celena jumped into bed excitedly. Star tucked her in like a child. That put a warmth in Celena's heart.

"Goodnight Celena."

"Goodnight Princess," Celena replied. Star blew out the candle and walked out of the bedroom.

* * *

Marco lay in his bed quietly as he stared into the ceiling. His room was lit up by a few candles that sat on a little table next to his bed. He listened to the things that crawled at night, chirping their songs they sang every night. Then it hit him, he had a picture of Jackie in his pillowcase. The sheer shock sent him flying off his bed to scurry for the picture in the pillowcase. _**Why do I feel so nervous?! Star would have been fine if I had this picture… right? She was always my biggest support when it came to Jackie.**_ Marco panicked silently to himself. Then his door creaked. Marco tucked the picture into his duffle bag that he had under his bed. He looked over the top of his bed to see Star staring at him from the other side.

"What are you doing?" Star asked silently as if she was playing with him.

"Nothing… what are you doing?" Marco played along.

"Nothing… why are we talking like this?" Star continued.

"Because we don't want to wake up the kids," Marco chuckled. Star laughed as she jumped up to her feet to set herself fall onto his bed. Marco began to feel light headed as he saw Star in her night gown. Once again, it was her same old night gown with the differences being that it hugged her curves a lot more than it did 2 years ago with it coming up just above her knees. He cleared his throat before speaking. "Um… don't you think you should get yourself a new night gown?" He said as he sat on the bed. Star began to run her fingers through her hair nervously.

"Why? Does it look bad?"

"No! No. That's not it at all. It looks great. It's just…," he had to hurry and come up with something. "… you know… you've had that one for so long." Marco turned red as he turned his head away from her.

"Oh!" Star smiled faintly. "Well, you know… I still like this one and all. It is one of my first gowns I owned when I came to Earth. I did do a lot of stuff with this old night gown," Star laughed as she toyed with her necklace. Marco took notice of the object she was fiddling with.

"You sleep with your necklace on?"

"Oh, this?... sometimes. I… I really like it," Star turned red as she turned her head away. "Well! Bed time!" Star stretched herself across his bed.

"Yeah! Good idea!" Marco lay down next to her.

"Then shut up and go to sleep!" Tom yelled from the living room. Marco and Star sat up in response. Marco turned to the candle and blew it out. He lay on his side to face Star.

"Goodnight Star," Marco said softly. Star turned to her side so she could face him.

"Goodnight Marco." Star, unable to control herself, reached out and ran her fingers through Marco's hair. It wasn't until a great warmth grew inside of them that she realized what she was doing. It was a warmth of desire that scared them a bit, that Marco had to bring it to her attention.

"What are you doing?" He said almost breathlessly.

"I… I don't know," Star's voice quivered with nervousness. "S-sorry," She turned her body to the other side. _**What is this feeling**_? The both thought to themselves. They would both spend the next hour or so laying silently until their nerves would let the sleep.

* * *

" _Corruption_ …," A voice called out silently as it echoed around Star. Star looked around to try and figure where she was. All she could see were hues of black and purple all around her with no apparent walls or floors. "… _has been corrupted_ …" The voice said.

"Who's that!? This is not funny! Stop it!" Star screamed as she frantically searched for the voice.

"Star?" She spun around to see that she was at the top of a hill with flowers scattered all around. More importantly, she saw Marco sitting on a picnic cloth with a basket.

"Marco? What are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious? It's a picnic. You know… our first date."

"What…" Star grew speechless. She fell to her knees in front of him and placed her hands on his cheeks. "Really?"

"Really," He smiled heavenly at her. Star felt immense joy build up within her. That was until she looked into the basket.

"Corn? What… didn't you have a nightmare about corn in a picnic basket?" Star leaned away from him.

"Oh, the nightmare is real," his voice grew deep with a demonic echo. "Jackie should be the one here. Not you."

"… _corruption_..."

"What? Marco, I…" Tears ran down Star's face as she reached forward for Marco. She found that she couldn't reach him, despite her best efforts.

"If it wasn't for you getting in the way, I could have had the girl of my dreams."

"… _has begun_ …" The echoing voice few deep as tentacles busted from the ground and wrapped themselves around Marco.

"Marco!" Star screamed.

" _You will destroy everything you love_ …" a calmer voice said.

"Rrrrrrraaaaaaaggggggghhhhhhh!" Marco screamed as tentacles shot out of his mouth.

* * *

"Marco!" Star jumped in fear as she had awoken from her dream. She felt frantic flailing next to her.

"Star! What's wrong!" Marco sat up quickly and put his hand son her cheeks. She grasped onto his hands and held tight.

"All around you! The tentacles!" Star cried as the tears ran from her eyes and the warmth burned onto Marco's hands. "You! You….in danger… so angry," Star gasped for air as she cried frantically.

"Star! Star. Calm down. It sounds like you were having a bad dream," Marco placed his forehead on hers in hope that through touch she could see that he was there. "It's ok Star. I'm right there. There is nothing here. We are still in my room." Star looked up and, by the light of the moon, saw Marco's sympathetic face. In disbelief, she reached up and began to feel Marco's face, even giving his lips a quick brush over with her fingers. Another wave of tears began to flow from her eyes as she jumped up and put her arms around Marco.

"Marco! I'm sorry!" Star cried.

"It's ok Star. Everything is fine," He wrapped his arms around her as well. He stroke her hair softly as her breathing became steady again.

"It was terrible," She said softly. "You were being taken away from me."

"Nothing is going to take me away from you. I am still right here," Marco told her softly. "Come on. Lay down." Marco eased her down. Star turned to her left side as she lay down.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Marco replied. "Do you want me to hold you until you fall asleep?" Marco saw that she nodded her head as the moon lit up her golden hair. He placed his arms around her as she snuggled up against him. Marco felt his body grow hot as he felt her body press up against his. "F-feel better?" She nodded again.

"Thank you, Marco," Star's voice still quivered.

"Of course, Star. Now get some rest," Marco whispered. With fear still in her heart, Star could fall asleep warmly in Marco's arms. Even Marco felt much comfort holding her as he dozed off along with her.

* * *

Marco's room lit up early that morning, exposing the wooden table, bed frame, flooring and the stone walls. The air was crisp as Star lay humbly and warmly in Marco's bed. He began to move around a bit, reaching for Marco's arm. Her eyes began to open slowly as she noticed that all she felt was the blankets. She turned to her right, where Marco should have been, and noticed he was gone _ **. He must be up and moving already**_. Star thought to herself as she sat herself up. Then an image from her dream flashed before her eyes. All she saws was tentacles wrapping themselves around Marco. _**What was that all about?**_ She got lost in thought. The distinct sound of chuckling caught her attention, so she decided it was time to get up. She wrapped herself in Marco's blanket before she walked out of his room.

Celena, Marco and Tom sat at the table with cups in front of them. Star saw the kettle on the stove, indicating that they were probably drinking tea, only because they still didn't have the proper equipment to make coffee yet. Marco was laughing with Tm and Celena when he noticed Star entering the living room.

"Good morning sleep head!" Marco got up and hugged Star. She gasped a bit as she embraced him in return.

"Good morning," She replied.

"Feeling better? You know… from last night," He looked her in the eyes.

"Uh… yeah. Like you said… just a dream. I feel loads better today," Star felt a warmth build up inside her. He smiled as he could felt her happiness build up inside him.

"Good. Come sit. I will get you a cup of tea," Marco put his arm around her as he led her to the table. Star sat down next to Celena, who already looked as if she fitted in with the group.

"Good morning Princes," Celena greeted.

"Good morning Celena. You know, you could just call me Star," Star smiled at her.

"But you are royalty. Even we monsters have a sense of hierarchy. You are of an upper class, and I…. well…" Celena shrugged. Star furrowed her brows at her.

"Ok. Well, we are in _this_ house. Right now, I am _not_ royalty and you are _not_ a monster. We are friends. There is no class between us," Star leaned into Celena who gave the idea some thought.

"I guess… that's true prin-, uh… Star," Celena smiled.

"There you go," Star hugged Celena who smiled brightly. Marco placed a cup of hot water with a teabag inside in front of Star. "Thank you, Marco."

"No problem," Marco smiled as he sat back down.

"So, what's for breakfast?" Glossaryck floated next to Marco.

"Nothing yet… Glossaryck!" Marco jumped up from his seat as Glossaryck appeared from nowhere.

"Good morning! I'm hungry!" Glossaryck floated to the middle of the table. He stopped to look at the reptilian girl. "Who is this?"

"Good morning Glossaryck. This is Celena. She was the one stealing our corn at night," Star leaned towards him.

"Hm. What an unusual way to make friends."

"What do you mean?" Celena asked.

"Well, you know. You steal their corn and they invite you in their home. Not many Mewmans would do something like that," Glossaryck examined Celena.

"I thought the same thing. But they had opened up to me. These are my kind of people in a strange way," Celena smiled.

"I suppose," Glossaryck said as he floated to Star. "Care to explain?"

"What? She is in need of some help. I really could care less about the way the other Mewmans and monsters feel about each other. At least… that's what Marco has always taught me."

"And what's that?"

"That there is good in everyone," She smiled as she looked at Marco. He smiled warmly at her. "We are alike in the end."

"Hm. It's funny, Eclipsa had the same mindset about Mewmans and monsters," Glossaryck rubbed his chin. Star's eyes widened.

"Queen Eclipsa? One of the past Queens of Mewni?" Celena became interested in the conversation.

"Indeed. Do you know the name?" Glossaryck turned to her. Celena grew nervous as all eyes suddenly turned to her.

"Uh… yes. Through tells of the old, that is. It was said that Queen Eclipsa had fallen in love with a monster and ran from her throne of Mewni. They used to say she was planning to mend the turmoil that Mewmans and monster had between each other. She was hoping that marrying a monster would open everyone's eyes that Mewmans and monsters could get along. But instead of joy, they were greeted with anger and hatred, knowing that no one would except their love. That's why they flew Mewni."

"For the most part that is true. Even though she wedded with a human, she had always sympathized with the monsters. Even kept many as friends and close acquaintances. She was successful, however, knocking down that boundary. But no Mewman could accept another Mewman, let alone their Queen, fall in love with a monster," Glossaryck added. "Unfortunately, it was through the influences of monsters that Queen Eclipsa took interest in, even creating, dark magic."

"Yeah… there are monsters out there that are familiar with magic," Celena added, fearing that the mood at the table was taking a turn for the worst.

"One monster in particular was interested in her magic. He was a friend of hers. They met when she was about your age," Glossaryck pointed at Celena. "He, too, was lizardon. He had already possessed the ability to regenerate body parts on command." Star felt a chill run up her spine as she was reminded of the voice she heard a few days ago; those yellow eyes staring at her, his gray scales.

"Toffee…" Star said quietly, thinking no one heard her. Glossaryck turned to her with wide eyes.

"How did you know that?"

"I… I … had this feeling," Star looked up with worried eyes. Celena looked worried herself.

"Yes. He did his best to have Eclipsa teach him in the ways of magic but found that he could not learn magic without a wand. And through her practice, found that she accidentally gave him the gift of immortality. She was attempting to give him the power to use magic but failed. He ran away from her thinking that she had failed him on purpose. It wasn't until that his friends and family were aging without him that he realized he could not die."

"It is a name that brought shame to our kind. He never cared who he hurt. Monster or Mewman. He only cared about power." Celena hung her head. "He is the reason why lizardon folk are targeted by all with hatred."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Star put her arm around Celena.

"It's ok. We lizardon are strong. We are used to it. At least we are favored by the more unsavory kind of people," Celena joked causing the others to chuckle.

"I guess if you wanna look at it that way," Glossaryck didn't laugh. Everyone became serious again. "Anyways, it was because of that Queen Eclipsa surrounded herself with monsters that she began to grow angry with the citizens of Mewni. That anger transformed itself into dark magic."

"I don't understand. How did that influence her magic? Why is it considered dark magic?" Star grew curious.

"It's considered dark because it was influenced by negative emotions. For example, paranoia gave rise to spying magic along with spells that cause illusions, hysteria and confusion."

"The Mist of Madness?" Star looked at Glossaryck who sighed.

"And again, I find myself baffled at your sudden knowledge of things. You peeked into Eclipsa's chapter again, didn't you?" Star nodded her head apologetically. "Anyways… oh yeah. Anger leads to destructive spells. Hatred can lead to torture and instant death spells." The room began to feel heavy with all this information.

"So… on mother's tapestry? Was that a …."

"Yes. It was an extreme that your mother was willing to take when it came to fighting Toffee. The only spell that could cut through his immortality. A spell that Eclipsa had created to rid the world of a target once and for all. Ironically, for Toffee, it was created by the same person who gave him his immortal life."

"There's something the stories would never tell you. To us monsters, Eclipsa was a saint. The one and only person who could free monsters from their shackles and reintegrate them alongside the Mewmans. But never would I have known what she had to go through to gain the wondrous things that she could do," Celena hung her head.

"Yes, well you are familiar with the telephone game, yes?" Glossaryck looked at the others.

"Is it the one where you whisper into someone's ear who whispers into the next until they get to the end of the line?" Marco turned his gaze to him.

"Yes. That's the one. What happens to it at the end of the line?"

"It's different from when it started."

"Precisely. History sometimes say one thing but that is because every time it gets passed down to the next person, they had already confused one thing or have placed their own influences into the story. The only way to get the actual story was to be there or know someone who was there."

"Well, that's impossible. That was like, 10 generations ago," Star slapped her hands down in frustration.

"Indeed," Glossaryck said. "I have already shared all I know."

"That's right! You have been training the Princess' of Mewni since the first Princess," Star turned to him. "So, what happened to her?"

"Beats me. Once she ran away with her monster lover, the citizens of Mewni lost all communication with her. Not even her family knows what happened to her." The table sighed with their waste of anticipation. "While we are on the subject of magic, star, I am going to ask that you do not look into Eclipsa's chapter again. Not until you know that you cannot be influenced by dark magic.

"Why is that?"

"Dark magic is fed by temptations and driven by negative emotions. Much like other spells, that stronger the emotion, the stronger the spell." Star watched him. "I have a feeling that you already know this for a fact," he raised an eyebrow at her as she looked at Marco with sympathetic eyes. Tom looked around the table to see the sullen looks on everyone's faces.

"Well, if that concludes our little history lesson for the day, I think it is time for breakfast!" Tom stood up in an attempt to change the mood in the kitchen. They all looked up in shock. Marco smiled as Star sighed and stood up with a smile no her face.

"That sounds like a good idea! I think I will gather some eggs from the chicken dove coop," Star smiled as she grabbed a basket.

"I'll help!" Celena smiled as she and Star walked out the back.

"I think I will get the fire wood," Tom flowed the girls out the door. Marco stood by the table with Glossaryck floating next to him. Marco became serious.

"You're worried about her, aren't you?" Marco asked Glossaryck.

"I wouldn't say 'worry.' My job is to teach magic to the next Queen. However she wants to do that is up to her. I would just prefer that she didn't go dwon that same path. Dark magic is very influential. Even a little exposure can lead to a big mess," Glossaryck turned to him.

"That spell she used… it had to be influenced by dark magic, huh?"

"There is no influence, my boy. That was a dark spell. She could have done so much harm to herself with it. And not only her. It could have affected anyone in the area."

"Even… me?"

"Yes."

"How would you know?"

"You don't… until something happens." Glossaryck and Marco stared out the window as they heard the chatter of the girls outside. "Take care of each other, Marco. I far that something is brewing. It's only a matter of time. And when it does, you two will need to be able to save one another or lose each other." Marco looked down at his hand a flash of a tentacle ran across his mind. Then he remembered what Star said about her dream.

"I don't intend to lose," Marco said sternly as he stared out the window.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello Everybody! It has been a while? How y'all doing! I am sorry for taking so long to post new chapters but I gotta be honest, I am beginning to feel burned out. And then work is picking up again and unfortunately i gotta answer the call. If i dont, then i cant afford to do the things i love, like writing fanfics (no internet means no story.) I will try and get the next chapter up as quickly as i can, seeing how i already have it written. And to those who are willing to be patient for me I offer all the thanks in the world. On a side note, WHO IS READY FOR NEW STAR VS. THE FORCE OF EVIL! LOL. Reviews are always welcomed. Without further adieau, Chapter 11.**

* * *

Chapter 11: What a day

Celena was outside with Tom and Marco pulling weeds, dried vegetation, and making rows of dirt mounds for planting. Marco had planned to set up another acre of planting grounds to make more food. Primarily corn but that was because it was good eats and a good source of money for them. Thanks to the corn for being whit, it was like having an exotic vegetable that everyone wanted to try or, if they had already tried it, want it desperately. Marco and Star were the only ones who had it so there was no competition for them. They were happy to admit that they had more coin then they knew what to do with. That is, of course, if they spent it sensibly and not on every sweet treat they came across in the market place. So, they continued working, preparing to plant more corn and other vegetables. Star came outside from the kitchen with a tray at hand with drinks to give to the hard workers. Star approached Celena first, who was knelt down in the dirt as she continued to pull weeds.

"You know Celena, you don't have to help. Marco and Tom have this under control," Star smiled as she handed a cup to Celena.

"Thank you!" Celena took the cup graciously. She took a long drink as she enjoyed the cool beverage chill her core with excess fluids dribbling down her neck. "I don't mind helping, she caught her breath after her drink. "It's the least I can do after stealing some of you corn and giving me a place to stay.

"Oh Celena. I had already said you can stay with no strings attached," Star pouted as she placed her fist on her hip.

"I know. You've been saying that for the last 3 days. It's fine. I like to pull my own weight."

"Hm. I wish we _all_ shared your philosophy," Star smiled.

"Yeah, I can hear you!" Tom yelled.

"I know!" Star sang song back at him as Celena laughed. I had been 3 days since Celena agreed to stay with them and the young monster was fitting in just fine. Thanks to the welcoming nature Star and Marco had, Celena opened up almost immediately to everyone. She still had a sense of class division, even had to fight against herself about titling Star, but she grew more detached from those ideals with each passing day.

"It's fine. I will do what I can until I find a place to stay," Celena giggled as she watched how Star and Tom interacted. By now, Marco and Tom had walked up to Star to grab their beverages. Star frowned at Celena.

"All the same reason why you should kick back. You done even plan on staying here or too long and yet you are working as though you live here."

"It's alright, Star. If she wants to help I say we let her. Besides, it's good that she does. It will help her refine some of her basic home life skills," Marco leaned on his hoe.

"And it takes some of the workload off us," Tom added.

"I wouldn't be talking if I were you. We can barely get you to do anything around here," Star glared at him.

"Hey! I've gotten better," Tom said defensively. Marco and Celena just laughed at him.

"Well alright. If you need anything, just let me know. I will be inside fixing up lunch," Star turned to Celena who greeted her with a big smile.

"Thank you so much. I believe I will be good for now."

"Same goes to you Marco. Tom...don't bother me," Star smiled as she walked away. Tom puffed as he turned red with anger. Marco patted Tom on the shoulder as she he laughed. Marco walked away for a moment as she placed his hand in his pocket. Tom took notice as Marco walked around the other end of the cornfield.

"Hey Celena. I will be right back. Don't get too far ahead of me. Star would never let me hear the end of it," Tom said as he walked off.

"Okeydokey!" Celena smiled as she continued to pull weeds. Tom made his way down the side of the cornfield silently. It Marco was up to no good, Tom would like to catch him in the act. He peeked around the corner to see Marco's back turned against to him. He noticed that Marco's hands were in front of him and Marco was saying something silently to himself.

"What are you up to, Diaz," Tom said silently to himself and saw that Marco placed something into his pocket. Marco turned towards Tom's direction to find Tom spying on him. Marco's immediate reaction was to put himself into a fighting stance.

"Tom! What are you doing?!" Marco yelled.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," Tom stood straight.

"I wasn't doing anything."

"Mm-hm. What did you put in your pocket?" Tom crossed his arms.

"Nothing," Marco walked past Tom.

"You aren't a convincing liar, Marco," Tom followed him. Marco just ignored him as she kept walking. "Alright. Whatever you say. Just don't let Star see it." Marco stopped and turned to Tom. Uncharacteristically, fury burned into Marco's eyes, enough to even make Tom flinch.

"You leave Star out of it. She doesn't need to know anything," Marco glared Tom. Tom noticed he had some green in his eyes.

"Whoa due. Take it easy. I was just messing around," Tom backed up. He saw the green disappear with a look of shock in Marco's face. Marco brushed his hand through his hair in confusion.

"Uh…. sorry. I don't know what came over me," Marco turned and walked away. Tom just examined him suspiciously.

* * *

Everyone sat at the table that night enjoying dinner. Dinner consisted of corn, grilled boar that Marco hunted more towards the evening while the creatures began to look for a place to rest. Celena ate extremely graciously and with much gusto.

"Marco, this is fantastic. I don't usually eat this much meat unless it is a small creature that I can catch," Celena wiped her mouth with a towel, then reaching for the corn. "And this corn is so amazing! It's like eating sweet beads of pearls."

"Glad you like it," Marco laughed at her.

"Oh, I do!"

"As do I!" Glossaryck yelled as well. Star had set up a plated for him as well. She had the book next to her so she could read and eat at the same time. "I am happy to see that you are taking your studying seriously," Glossaryck turned to Star.

"Yeah, well, it is kind of nice to do something at night. Marco and I spent a lot of time alone here without much to do," Star explained.

"Geez. Sorry to hear that I am not entertaining enough for you," Marco replied sarcastically.

"No, Marco! That's not what I meant! It's was more fun that way… I mean, there is no one I would rather be alone with then you… I mean," Star turned bright red as everyone turned to face her. "I mean…whoa! It is just me or is it hot in here," Star began to fan herself as she hid her face behind the book. Her hearts on her cheeks began to glow. Something only Glossaryck saw. He floated towards her to whisper in her ear.

"Be careful Star. Your emotions are showing,' He said as he poked her cheek with his index finger. She let the book fall on her head to completely cover her head.

"So…. is anyone gonna tell me what that building in the back is going to be?" Celena decided to change the subject.

"Nope." Marcon and Tom replied simultaneously.

"What?" Celena looked at them. Star took this time to peek out from under the book. Why not?"

"It's a secret," Marco replied.

"And he won't tell me either," Tom lied through his teeth. In fact, Tom was the only one who knew what it was but went under the guise that he didn't.

"You guys have been saying that for a week!" Star popped up from under the book.

"You guys did all that in one week?! That's pretty fast!" Celena congratulated them.

"Thank you, Celena. Yeah, we have been working pretty hard on it. Actually, we're almost done too, so we decided to take it easy for a change. You know, chilling for a while," Marco laughed as he stood from his chair to take his plate to the sink.

"Oh! Here Marco. I will do the dishes," Celena jumped up from her seat with her empty plate.

"I can do it, Celena."

"No! I insist. It's the least I can do," Celena pushed him away.

"Well, ok. Thank you so much," Marco thanked her as he waked to the couch. Star watched Celena as she cleared the table of the rest of the dishes. Tom sat on the couch furthest away from Marco who was cleaning his sword.

"Celena, I just want to tell you thank you," Star turned to her again.

"For what?" Celena turned around to face her.

"For everything that you do. You don't have to do chores or help in the fields but you do. Not everyone is as kind hearted as you."

"Well, you do know not all monsters are bad," Celena joked.

"I don't believe anyone truly is, but you do things without needing to be asked or complain about it. I wanna show you my gratitude by taking you on a girl's day out!" Star smiled as the idea came across her mind.

"What?!" Everyone yelled in unison.

"Yeah! Let's go shopping in the village tomorrow! We'll have lunch at the little restaurant as well!"

"Well… look at me. I don't know if the citizens of Mewni will take lightly at the fact of a monsters walking thought one of their villages. Especially one like the village you guys go to," Celena stared into the sink.

"Nobody has to know you're a monster. We can go in disguise, much like Marco and I. We do it all the time," Star tried to persuade her. "come on. It's the least I can do." Celena turned to look at Star again. Celena smiled sweetly at her.

"Ok. Why not," Celena giggles as Star jumped from her seat to hug her.

"Yah! We are going to have so much fun! You'll see," Star shook her by the shoulders. Marco walked over to them.

"You're sure that is a good idea? I mean, what if they find out Celena is a monster."

"Don't worry so much, Marco. Everything will be fine. Like I said, we will go incognito, burn some coins and eat like pigs. Nobody will expect a thing," Star explained blissfully.

"Maybe I should go with you guys. You know, to make sure you are safe."

"Uh, no. Marco, it's a girl's day out. You know… only girls? The thing you want the most? Star joked as Marco turned bright red.

"Bwahahahahaha! Marco has never had a girlfriend!?" Tom pointed and laughed. Star giggled as Marco went stiff in embarrassment.

"Sorry Marco. I didn't mean to embarrass you," Star tossed his hair. "Marco, don't worry. We will be fine. I bout some make-up so I can hide my hearts. I even have enough to go over Celena's face and forearms. We will blend right in," Star opened her hands and moved them away from her face.

"Why did you buy so much?" Marco furrowed her brows.

"I've never bought this stuff before!? I had no idea how much I would need," Star put her hands on her hips. Marco looked her over quickly and realized she was telling the truth. Apart from when she us to do makeovers with Ponyhead, Star never really used makeup. She had a natural beauty that didn't hit him lately.

"I suppose… it's not like you needed it before. You're already beautiful…" Marco's eyes bolted up at what he just told her.

"Huh…," Star turned bright red as her breath was taken away. Never before had he complemented her in such a manner. The weight of it all made her knees weak. Celena, Tom and Glossaryck just watched as if they were watching a soap opera.

"Uh… you know… ok! Um… you win. Just be careful," Marco tried to compose himself. Even Star finally came to grips with reality.

"Yeah! Yeah… of course. You and Tom could hang out and do something while we are gone,' Star cleared her throat.

"And if I refuse?!" Tom had to blurt out.

"Then go home," Star smiled at Tom who pouted at her suggestion. "Well, now that that's settler, everyone off to bed." Everyone began to put as she began to show a side of her none of them thought she had. Glossaryck raised his hand to grab Star's attention. "Yes, Glossaryck?"

"Yeah, since I am older than anyone here, I don't feel like I need a curfew."

"Be that as it may, Marco and I am the owner of this house. So, you will do as I say," Star replied. Glossaryck looked towards Marco with pleading eyes.

"Sorry. She is the boss," Marco shrugged his shoulders as Star crossed her arms in victory with a smug look on her face. Glossaryck crossed his arms and floated to his book, mumbling the entire way. Celena laughed as she ran by Star and Marco. Tom threw himself onto the couch where he pulled a pillow and blanket from under the couch.

"That is more like it!" Star smiled as she and Marco walked to his room.

"You're like their mother," Marco laughed.

"Heh, yeah. And I guess that makes you their dad," Star blushed madly as she ran her gingers through her hair. Marco tripped dover his own foot in response.

"Yeah… I guess you could say that," He chuckled nervously as they entered his room. In a matter of minutes, the little house grew silent to all but the creatures of the night. It grew quiet with anticipation of tomorrow.

* * *

Star sat at the kitchen table facing Celena as she patted her down with a light beige powder that began to mask her grey, scaly skin. As her color changed, Star grew increasingly proud of herself and her ability to apply makeup. Even Celena couldn't help but feel giddy as Star applied the makeup.

"Someone is excited," Star smiled.

"Yeah I am. I have never been to a Mewnian village before. I had always wondered what they are like," Celena moved her legs restlessly.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Being a monster, we really don't get to feel what you guys do. Sure, there are plenty of places we can go to mingle; if you have dimensional scissors you can travel about the dimensions but when you got nothing and are stuck on Mewni, you can't help but wonder what it would be like to be Mewman," Celena looked into Star's eyes. Star could see that this was a bit of a sensitive subject for Celena. So much so that Star began to feel guilty as the sorrow began to build up in her.

"Is life truly that bad for you and other monsters?"

"It can be. I sure wouldn't mind being accepted for who I am and not be judged for what I am," Celena looked into her lap.

"Sounds like it would be a wonderful world."

Yeah. I would be," Celena said quietly. Even Star found herself staring off into space. All the thoughts of how she has acted and treated monsters swam through her mind. Even having a few monsters as friends, she was misjudging other monsters. She was und the illusion that her friends were an exception to the rules and no one else. That wasn't the case anymore. There truly were monsters out there that could only dream about being part of everyday life. Much like artisans at the village, monsters had their own skill sets of hunting, farming and foraging. They had their own take in art and craftsmanship that was unique to the. If it was ever possible, monsters and Mewman could bring about a new way of living, shattering barriers that separated monsters and Mewmans. It would be a great benefit if the two could come together and become friends. Star smiled humbly at the thought of her friends who are monsters. They had truly made her life a bit sweeter at least. She turned to Celena and brought her head up to meet her gaze.

"But at least I can give you today. I hate that I have to cover your beautiful face, but today you're going to blend in and you will enjoy what the village has to offer." Celena smiled warmly at Star. Celena couldn't worry about being a monster; the only thing that was important to her was she was going to have the experience of a life time.

* * *

Marco stood next to the river that lay peacefully within the forest next to the house. The water was still crystal clear with the only thing that disrupted its clarity were the ripples that came from the waterfall upstream. Even though the waterfall was only about 10 feet tall, it was still forceful enough to push water miles away from itself. It wasn't a very loud waterfall either. This location was the perfect spot to be alone and listen to the flow of water, insects chirping and jumping within the brush, and the wind brushing gently across the tree's up above. The green vegetation, cool gray coloration of the rocks, and the cool mist spraying about made the entire scenery relaxing. For Marco Diaz, it was the perfect place to be alone as he pulled out Star's cellular compact from his pocket. He smiled as he flipped it open to see a new message under the name of Jackie. His smile grew wider as he read the message. He began to type back as a certain demon decided to popup form behind him, staring into Marco's hands.

"So, this is what you 've been keeping from me," Tom made himself known.

"Tom!" Marco fell sideways as the shock knocked him off balance. "What are you doing here?!"

"Funny. I was going to ask you the same question. I don't suppose Star knows that you are texting your old crush, does she?"

"No. She doesn't need to know that, Tom."

"Mm-hm. How long have you had that thing?" Tom pointed at the compact. Marco sighed as he tucked it back into his pocket.

"Ever since we left Echo Creek," Marco finally said to Tom after a moment of silence. Tom shook his head at Marco who grew annoyed at the notion. "What?"

"I'm just shocked. You ran into that girl after years of being apart and all of a sudden you start drooling all over her again," Tom let himself fall into a lean of one of the rocks by the river bed. His elbow made a loud thud and his eyes opened widely. "That hurt more than I thought it was going to…" He said a little too calmly.

"What are you getting at?"

"I guess that… that you already have everything a man could want. Why do you need another girl?" Marco's eyes opened widely. All his life, Jackie Lynn Thomas was his dream girl. There was nothing in the world that would make him happier than to have a chance to be with her. He told himself that this was a sweet and innocent girl with a chill outlook on life. She had interest. Physically she was fit; evident by her love of skateboarding, or any sport that involved a board. A dream girl that, just a few days ago, admitted that she had a crush on him as well. A fact that would have made him do backflips in joy or jump right out of his skin. But that wasn't the case anymore. Instead, he began to fill with confusion and guilt; feelings that, to him, made no sense. He could have the one he wanted….and then there is Star.

"I…. I don't know what I want," Marco looked up at Tom with pain filled eyes. Eyes that screamed with confusion. Even Tom couldn't help but feel concerned for his friends.

"Look. How about we go to Earth every now and them. You can meet up with Jackie and spend a little time with her. You know… to try and clear some of that confusion."

"What about Star?"

"She won't have to know. The she knows the better. I just want to help you make up your mind," Tom patted Marco on the shoulder. Marco chuckled faintly.

"Thanks Tom."

"Meh. It's the least I can do. Seeing how I live in your guy's house, virtually rent free," Tom laughed as he shrugged his shoulders. "The girls will be gone for a while. Why don't we head to Earth for a few hours? See what everyone is up too.

"Yeah. Alright," Marco agreed while the got up and made their way back to the house.

* * *

Star stood out front, waiting for Celena to come out of the house. Marco accompanied her seeing how the day was becoming increasingly beautiful with the birds of Mewni singing their song as the cool air grew warmer, enlightening them to a happy song. Marco took a step back to watch Star breath in the clean air. And then he found himself fascinated with her as a cool breeze brushed its fingers through her hair, the sun kissing her skin, and the light setting her body ablaze. She brushed her hair away as the breezed allowed her hair to fall silently everywhere _ **. Is that the same girl I ran away with 2 years ago? My goofy, fun-loving, adventurous best friend?**_ Marco thought to himself as a pair of blue eyes turned to him, causing him lose breath and the butterflies to swarm in his stomach. _**Except… except now she is so…. so beautiful**_.

"Marco, you ok?" Star looked upon him with concern.

"I'm fine," his voice cracked. He cleared his throat before he attempted to speak again. "I'm fine. You… you just look good is all."

"Thanks Marco," Star put her hands on her cheeks. "Feels funny without my hearts though," Star gently rubbed her cheeks where she spent an hour applying makeup thick enough to cover the color of her hearts.

"I agree. It's just not you without them, but you still look great, either way," Marco scratched the back of his head to cover up his quickly reddening cheeks.

"That's sweet, Marco," Star drew closer to him. Star looked up to lock eyes on his. "You know… I never realized how tall you've gotten," She began to lose her breath. Marco, indeed, had grown at least a head taller than her in the last 2 years.

"Heh, yeah. I remember when we were the same height."

"I don't know. I think I was at least an inch taller than you," Star laughed. Marco chuckled.

"Yeah… I guess you're right. Sorry."

"No, no. It's better this way." Marco and Star felt themselves being drawn to each other as she began to lean up while he slowly closed his eyes. A great warmth surrounded them as they could feel each other's breath burning on each other's lips. Just before they could lock lips the front door swung opened and Celena bounced out happily from the house. In that instant, Star and Marco were filled with panic as the young girl stared at the both of them; they sprang away from each other.

"Whoa. Was I interrupting something?" Celena threw her arms up in defense. Marco and Star were both bright red, unable to face each other.

"No! Not at all!" Star and Marco both screamed. Celena watched as the two were behaving bashfully.

"Well. Ok. Star! I'm ready!" Celena jumped happily. Marco turned to them when he was finally able to overcome his nerves to find Celena with peach colored skin. She was almost unrecognizable, a side from the part that Marco already know she was a monster, she looked just like an ordinary girl. She wore a black dress, that had a look of overalls at the top, to help cover her hind legs and tail. She wore a long sleeve white shirt to cover most of her arms. Star ee clipped and painted Celena's claws to imitate finger nails.

"Wow. You look Mewman," Marco smiled.

"Yeah? It looks believable?"

"Yeah it does. Well done, Star," Marco was finally able to look in her direction again. Star turned to his as well with rosy cheeks that manage to burn its way through her makeup.

"So… I didn't do too badly?" She asked him.

"Not at all. Of course, I wouldn't know how to do that myself, but it looks good." Marco and Star were lost in each other's gaze again. _**What is this? Why do I feel so flustered around her?**_ Marco thought to himself. Yet again, Celena decided to make her presence known.

"Um…ok. I'm ready to go when you are," Celena smiled at Star. Star shook her head and turned to Celena.

"Right. Sorry about that. Well, let's go," Star hopped. As she and Celena began to walk away, Marco ran up to Star and grabbed her by the wrist. Star gasped as she turned to find his brown eyes fixed on her.

"Star…...," he grew quiet for a moment, "….be safe…. please…. please come home," His eyes were filled with worry.

"Of course, Marco," Star brushed her fingers across his cheek. He smiled softly in return. Star sighed in content as she reciprocated his smile.

"Let's go, Star!" Celena jumped in joy as Star turned around and ran up to her since Celena had already began to wonder off without her. Marco watched as the 2 finally disappeared down the path. _**Why am I feeling this way? Almost like… like I am falling for my best friend. But that can't be. I thought I wanted Jackie?**_ Marco stood quietly as he swam in his thoughts.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Tom seemingly appeared from nowhere, standing right next to Marco.

"Tom! You gotta stop doing that!" Marco mumped away from him. Tom chuckled in response.

"I can't help it. It's just too easy," Tom wiped his eyes as Marco pouted. "So, does Jackie know we are on our way?"

"Yeah. I sent her a text earlier today about the plan," Marco seemed a bit distraught. A fact that Tom noticed.

"Hey, are you alright? We don't have to go if you don't want to."

"No, no. I'm good. Besides, I had already told Jackie we were going. I would hate to get her hopes up high then bail out on her at the last minute."

"No offense dude, but you don't owe her anything. We can stay here if you want."

"No. Let's go. I wanna get back before Star returns."

"Alright. Whatever you say. Will…uh…will Janna be coming?" Tom looked away as Marco and Tom made their way to the forest. Marco chuckled as he raised an eyebrow to him.

"Oh. Is this some kind of excuse to go see Janna again? Is that why you wanna go back to Earth.

* * *

Celena stood at the entrance to the village with wide eyes and mouth agape. She admired the humble cobblestone walkways, the variety of plants that clung to the walls and that hung from the rooftops. Clouds of grey and black smoke spewed from the chimney tops. The smells weren't the very least bad; it had the aroma of freshly baked bread, freshly brewed coffee or tea, and the occasional savory smells of lunch being cooked. And then there was the people. The people walked about the village without worry or fear. People were smiling and laughing as they walked, talked, and joked with each other. They bartered and sold without getting angry with each other or tried to be conniving and ended every transaction with a smile and good will. Children ran about screaming and playing without a care in the world. It was absolutely peaceful.

"Star, this place is amazing," Celena finally said.

"Yeah? Pretty sweet, right?" Star smiled at the bliss that spread across Celena's face.

"Yeah. Can you imagine what would happen if these people knew I was a monster?" Celena's expression changed into one of concern. Star put her hands on Celena's shoulders.

"Hey. Not so loud. What these people don't know won't hurt. Besides, today you are Mewman," Star brushed her cheek. Celena smiled at her yet again. "Now come on. We are here to have fun. Let's shop!" Star grabbed Celena's hand in joy as the girls ran into the village.

* * *

Marco sat on a park table, feeling anxious about Jackie's arrival. He tried to focus on the sounds of the park; children were running about and laughing, dogs barking as they played fetch with their owners, cyclist speeding along the sidewalk, even the occasional exchange of laughter and words as friends or families gathered to converse and enjoy this beautiful day. The sun was warm enough to kiss the scorch gently but the wind was cool enough to relieve the pleasurable sting. Leaves were brushed at the top of the trees, the fountain spat water into the air to splatter at the pooling water beneath. So much to focus on and all he could feel was the anxiety of meeting Jackie Lynn Thomas at the park. Worst of all, he could feel a bit of guilty pulling at his chest along with a sting of regret as he remembered watching his best friend running off with joy to enjoy the day. With all these thoughts and feelings flowing around, Tom sat at the seat next to the table that Marco was sitting on. As usual, Tom was worry free. A quality the he knew drove everyone crazy. As of lately, though, his one liners on Star, and temperament, became less frequent. All this time he spent with Marco and Star seemed to calm down this fiery demon. He wouldn't say it out loud, but he was having the time of his life with the two. Unfortunately, his nonchalant attitude was wearing thin as Marco remained locked in losing staring contest with the universe.

"Dude! Say something! You've been like that since we got here! The girls will be here any minute and you can't seem to be the least bit happy about it!" Tom exploded as he burst into flames. Well, his anger was mostly gone. Marco glared at him with green flowing in his eyes. The flames dissipated at the sight.

"I'm trying to think!" Marco stood up to stare Tom in the face. Tom could see something happening as he noticed that Marco's temper grew shorter and shorter with each passing day. On top of that, he noticed that every time Marco lost his cool, his naturally brown eyes started to turn green.

"Hey man, keep it together. I'm just getting bored her," Tom let his carefree nature come out again. This was to prove what he had been seeing. Sure enough, Marco seemed to snap out of it as his eyes became brown again. Marco shook his head in disbelief.

"Uh…sorry, Tom. I guess I am just nervous."

"Hopefully that's all that is."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Marco furrowed his brow at him. Tom cleared his throat as he brushed Marco off, not wanting to explain his findings.

"Well, guess who finally decided to show up," Tom threw his hands out to the girls. Marco felt a burn in his face as he watched Jackie's hair wavering in the wind, the way her hips swayed when she walked and how her eyes seemed to pierce his soul. _**This is wrong**_. He felt guilt and pain replace desire.

"Hey Marco," Her voice called softly. He pushed his feelings aside. He looked into her eyes and smiled warmly.

"Hey Jackie."

"Just admit it. You miss hang around me," Janna punched Tom on the arm. Jackie and Marco turned to them.

"Pfft. Don't sell yourself so highly. I had nothing better to do," Tom joked as he shrugged his shoulders. Janna just nodded her head mockingly. Marco and Jackie laughed.

"So, what's the plan, Marco Diaz?" Jackie nudged him.

"Well, it has been quite some time since I saw a movie. I don't even know what's new or exciting," Marco admitted.

"Then it's a good thing you have us," Jackie grabbed Marco's hand as they began to walk out of the park.

"I'm not holding your hand if that's what you're waiting for," Tom smiled deviously at Janna as he began to follow Jackie and Marco.

"Not even in your wildest dreams, demon," Janna laughed in return.

* * *

Marco and Star's home sat quietly by itself. All except for the two-headed cow they had that usually grazed a good distance from the house. It usually came close when it grew thirsty; because Marco kept its water tough close to the house so it would return and never stray too far from the house. Today it decided to get closer to the house because there was no one home to guard the cornfields. It mooed loudly once it was close enough to lose its heads into the cornfield. Since there was no one there to stop it, it began to eat happily. Then the cow felt a pat on its back. Busted. The cow backed out of the cornfield to find a stranger with a dark hood rubbing its back.

"I don't believe owners vant you to eat their corn," the stranger said with a chuckle. "Vhere is owner?" The stranger looked around. The cow responded with a moo. "Ok, 2 more ears and then you go." The stranger pulled 2 ears of corn off and handed them to the cow. The stranger laughed as he watched the cow walk away. He looked at the house wondering where the home owners went. He then looked at the corn and felt the urge to take some corn. His hands reached out shakily but then pulled back. "No. I vill not go back to stealing. I have new life and beautiful vife now," The stranger told himself as he walked up to the house where he knocked on the door. "Hello! Anyone home? I vould like to trade for corn. I have little money, but I can vork to pay debt!" The stranger called out but received no response. "Hm. Father-in-law say there is young couple here. Maybe they go to village." He told himself and he walked towards the front and sat down at the steps. "Fine. I can vait. Vorth it to feed family." Thankfully for him, the day was warm but the breeze was cool. It made it easy for him to wait.

* * *

Celena and Star sat down at a table outside of a small restaurant. They were enjoying a style of sandwich that was served in a French-like roll with warm chicken dove, Mewni's substitute for lettuce (it was red in color), a tomato like vegetable, and a type of sweet spread. It came with an early style of French fries, Mewni style since it was the color purple, and a cool glass of a berry tea. Celena couldn't help but drool at the smell, and when she took a bite, she was sent to a monster heaven. Star couldn't help but giggle at Celena's expression.

"Is it good?" Star asked. It was her first time having these sandwiches as well. Since Star and Marco had been successful at selling their corn, they now had the opportunity to try new foods or enjoy some luxuries such as pastries and chocolate.

"It's amazing! It all is! This drink, the food, the sounds, the village!" Celena grew excited as Star laughed at her. Celena looked at Star sincerely. "Star, I can't thank you enough. This is a life that anyone could get used to. It's almost too bad that it is just for today," She became humbled while Star grew sorrowful.

"I'm… I'm glad that you are enjoying yourself. I wish I could give this to you every day," Star had shed a tear. Celena caught her rubbing her eyes.

"Star…no, no. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel like this. Oh, I'm such an idiot," Celena slammed her fist into her forehead.

"it's not your fault. I didn't mean to get too sensitive," Star wiped away her tears. "I can't imagine what life must have been for you."

"Oh, you know, it's tuff but you can't change who you are. You just wake up every morning and be thankful that you're still alive," Celena stared into her glass before she drank out of it. She placed her cup back down. "That's why I gotta move on. No offense Star, I love living with you guys but I should be with my own kind. Not because I want too, but because it would keep you guys safe."

"Celena, we live on the country side. We don't get many passerby's. You would be safest with us."

"And what happens when the day comes and you guys can't handle it? I would never be able to live with myself if something were to happen to you guys." It's true. It is not uncommon for Mewmans and monsters to have some kind of relationship; Eclipsa was living proof of that, but there were many Mewmans and monsters who would look upon such acts with extreme hate and violence. It is very possible that their lives would be in danger of threats and attempts of homicide. Star smiled at Celena when a thought came across her mind.

"You know what?" Star saw Celena with a mouth full of fries. "I am a Magical Princess. One day, I will be Queen. I will abolish this segregation and use my magic to enforce my rule," Star boastfully bit her sandwich. Celena sat with a pensive look on her face. Then she smiled.

"Then we could have lunch like this more often!" She smiled at Star who sat with a smug look no her face. "But don't go making promises you can't keep."

"Not only do I promise it, but I will personally see to it that this relationship flourishes. Why should we be the only ones to live happily and prosperous. As a Queen, I must see that all my people are happy under my rule. Now, this change won't come easy. May take a decade, but at least it will be a star. Then, we can have more girl's day out like this but in your own skin." Celena seemed to glow at the thought.

"Star… you're the best friend I could have ever asked for."

"I really like you too Celena. You are the coolest and most caring girl I know. I am happy that I can do this for you," Star replied. The girls took a moment to continue their lunch. Star brushed her hands together before she spoke. "So, I think the next thing to do is to get some new clothes and get some sweets. How does that sound?"

"Sounds like I need to hurry and finish my sandwich," Celena laughed as she ate quickly to continue with this exciting day.

* * *

The guys sat in a theatre that was almost empty; the movie had been out for a few weeks and finally lost its appeal from the masses. Never the less, the girls picked this movie for Marco to see because he has always been a fan of action/adventure movies with plenty of fight scenes. He even enjoyed the idea because they would have the whole place to themselves with little to no distractions. Jackie, obviously, sat next to Marco with Janna to his left and Tom right next to her. Tom had made a point to not sit next to Marco, seeing how there was an equal amount of men to women and he did not want to be seen sitting next to a dude. Jackie watched as Marco's eyes were filled with fascination to the movie. She took the opportunity to wrap an arm around him and lay her head on his shoulder. Marco's breath shallowed when he felt her around him. He looked down at her with rosy cheeks.

"You ok?" He asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just… getting comfy," Jackie said, not leaving his shoulder. Marco, at a loss of words, returned to the movie. While this was going on, Tom and Janna were throwing popcorn into each other's mouth. Marco turned to them next.

"Do you guys mind? We are trying to watch the movie," Marco growled at them.

"That's what makes it more fun," Tom laughed.

"No. it is not fun. I am getting cover with popcorn.

"Jackie doesn't mind," Janna chuckled as she pointed at Jackie who at the popcorn off his sweater.

"Yup, does not help my case," Marco sighed.

"Chill dude. They're just having fun," Jackie said as she kissed Marco on the cheek. "Besides, I'm totally benefiting off their little game. All the popcorn I want," She laughed as she continued to pluck popcorn off Marco's body.

"Alright them. I will let it slide," He replied.

"Cool dude. Now, let's just enjoy the movie," Jackie said as she turned her attention to the movie again.

* * *

Star and Celena continued with the day as they walked from store to store that sold a variety of clothing, jewelry, and shoes. To Star, it wasn't too big of a deal seeing that she usually only wore what she made. But Celena's eyes beamed with excitement at all the different clothing in different colors.

"Oh! Star, can I try that one on?" Celena pointed at a dress that had puffed shoulders with a corset-like waist. It was dark red in color. Star smiled at her.

"Try it on? We just need to get your measurements and they will find a dress that fits you," Star put her hand on her hip. "Come one." Star and Celena walked into the store and, upon entering, were bombarded with a mess of colors and fabrics. The two girls couldn't help but to be excited as they ran through the dresses. Star and Celena flipped through every dress but Celena kept returning to the dark red dress. Star laughed as she walked over to the clerk. The clerk was an elderly woman, at least in her late 50's or early 60's, who seem to always have a stern face. "Excuse me, ma'am?"

"Yes, may I help you?" Her tone of voice was that of annoyed mother. Star shook it off before she made a smart remark.

"Yeah… we would like to get measured. My friend happens to have an eye for that dress over there," Star pointed over to Celena who was running her hands around the dress, admiring the fabrics it was made of.

"Yes. I'm sorry, dearie, but that one is not cheap. I couldn't sell it for less than 100 gold pieces," the clerk raised her nose at them. "Surely you couldn't afford it."

"Oh, no. What ever shall I do? I'm just a poor farm girls with no…. whoops!" Star toyed along when a couple of gold pouches fell from her dress. The clerk looked upon Star with surprise and disgust. "Oh my! That appears to be at least 362 gold pieces! But I can't afford that dress! I guess for being judgmental you will lower the price to 50 gold pieces for eth poor farm girls." Star batted her eyes at the now infuriated clerk.

"And what makes you think I would do such a thing?" The clerk clenched her teeth.

"Because it would be a shave if someone went around spoiling the good name of your store. Word travels fast around a village like this one. I have many friends. So, we will be over by that 50-piece dress when you are ready to measure us. Coool, Thaaannks," Star mocked happily as she walked away from the reddened-with-anger clerk. Celena turned to Star.

"What was all that commotion about?" Celena asked.

"Oh nothing. Just asking how much the dress was. We're in luck! That dress just went on sale!" Star jumped excitedly, mainly because of what she had done.

"Really!?" Celena jumped to match Star's excitement.

"You bet! She'll be here to measure us any minute," Star laughed as Celena draped the dress in front of her body to admire the way it can look on her. She swayed back and forth as if she wa ball. After a few minutes, the disgruntled clerk arrived with a measuring tape.

"Alright. Who's first?" She grumbled. Star walked up to the clerk since Celena was too busy admiring the dress to pay attention. "Very well." She wrapped the tape around Star's shoulders, allowing it to fall to her waist, and released it again to measure her waist. "Hm. 34, 23, 34. You measure nicely. Dresses more of your size will include anything in this rack," the clerk pointed to a row of dresses. Celena finally caught on to what was going on as she bounded to the clerk excitedly.

"Me next!" Celena couldn't conceal her excitement. She was greeted with a sneer from the annoyed lady. Celena didn't notice as she turned her back to the clerk and stood still. She mumbled as she began to take Celena's measurements. Once she got to Celena's waist, the clerk noticed something under Celena's dress moved. The clerk eyeballed Celena suspiciously for a moment until Star approached.

"Something wrong?" Star raised an eyebrow to her.

"Not at all," replied the angry elder as she stood straight. "38, 26,42. It just so happens to be that that dress will have the proper measurements for you." She eyeballed Celena as she pointed at the dress.

"Really?! Sweet!" Celena grabbed the dress. Star began to feel her body after the clerk had given her Celena's measurements.

"Wow, I'm totally slender,' Star said with a bit of disappointment in her voice. She may have been an inch or two taller than Celena, but she didn't quite have bust as Celena did. Star approached Celena as the clerk examined the girls. She focused on Celena's collar to her shirt and noticed a discoloration being robbed off into the shirt. A young girl came from the back of the store as she walked up to the owner. She noticed that the owner was staring at the girls.

"Is something the matter, mistress?" The young girl tapped her on the shoulder, speaking softly enough so that Celena and Star couldn't hear her.

"Go in search for some guards. I have a feeling that that dark-haired one may be a monster," The owner turned to her. The young girl nodded as she exited through the back of the building, something that Star did noticed. The owner turned to see Star staring at her. "Would you like to view any other dress?" The owner tire to cover up. To Star, it seemed to be a drastic change for someone who was reluctant to help them when they first arrived.

"Uh… no. We're good! This will be it," Star quickly counted out fifty gold pieces.

"Are you sure? We have another good collection down the back of the store," the owner tried to convince them to stay.

"Nope!" Star gave her the gold and dragged Celena, along with her drew, out of the store. The owner ran to the door to see where Star and Celena disappeared to. To her surprise, they had just vanished.

* * *

Marco, Tom, Jackie and Janna walked to a little Mexican restaurant after the movie. It had an indoor dining room as well as tables outside that sat under a few trees. Marco happily drank from his horchata, seeing how it is one of his favorite drinks. He loved to pair it with a burrito, mojado, with carnitas. Jackie went with a torta with carne asada herself while Tom got a set of nachos that was covered with carne asada, cheese, guacamole, sour cream and jalapenos, and Janna got fish tacos with a side of rice and beans, that were covered with melted cheese.

"Yup. This is one of the few things that I have been missing from my life," Marco laughed as he put his horchata down.

"I'm guessing you can't find horchata where you're at, huh?" Jackie nudged him.

"Nope."

"there are a lot of things you won't find on Mewni. Everything is either too 18th century or just doesn't grow there," Tom commented as he examined a nacho before he shoved it into his mouth.

"Bet you can still get dysentery there," Janna chuckled as she bit her taco. The trio gave Janna a sour look. Marco returned to eating his burrito with Jackie watching him with much fascination. After a moment, Marco noticed her gaze upon him.

"Is something wrong?" Marco asked.

"Just happy to see you here. You look like you are having a good time," Jackie tousled his hair. Janna and Tom watched on with wide eyes and curiosity.

"Well, who couldn't? We have good food, watched a good movie with good friends," Marco's smile faded a bit, a fact that made Jackie nervous. "But…."

"…but _she_ isn't here, right?" Jackie looked down.

"What? No. Jackie, that's not what I meant," Marco took the defensive.

"Now things are getting interesting," Tom whispered to Janna.

"This is the deepest I get to reality TV shows. Marco's one of my favorites," Janna chuckled at Tom.

"Will you two butt out!" Marco yelled at them, causing them to jump from their seats. "Jackie… I didn't mean it like that," Marco turned his attention back on her.

"But you like her, don't you?"

"I…uh… no. She's my best friend. No more, no less," Marco tried to convince her but, more so, he tried to convince himself. "Jackie…" Marco called her. Jackie stared into his eyes. "I know, for now, that I'm not always going to be around. But… but I would like to know if there is an 'us'." Marco swallowed his words as a massive wad of guilt and shame threaten to suffocate him.

"Really?" Jackie scooted closer to him.

"Y-yeah," Marco sputtered his response. Jackie leaned up and kissed Marco no the lips. He closed his eyes as he allowed this ivory haired girl to express her feeling for him. Tom and Janna winced at the sight.

"And macro has just set his own ticking time bomb" Tom commented to Janna. Janna gave a heavy sigh.

"Don't tell Star about this. I may be a trouble maker, but I don't intend to see her get hurt," Janna turned to Tom who just nodded in response. They watched as Jackie and Marco broke away to stare happily into each other's eyes.

* * *

Star and Celena walked out of a candy shop in the village where they had decided to indulge on an assortment of chocolates; or at least what seemed like chocolates to those who weren't residents of Mewni. Each girl held a cheese cloth-like sac that held their candy. Celena blissfully walked as she popped chocolates into her mouth. Star, on the other hand, grew dead still as she stared off into nothing. Celena continued to giggle to herself when she heard something from behind her. She looked back to see Star's candy on the floor and tears running down her face.

"Star!" Celena couldn't help but yell. Fortunately, no one seemed to notice the young girl's call. Celena dropped her candy to put her hands on Star's face. "Hey! Snap out of it!" Celena shook her gently. After a moment, Star's eyes focused on Celena.

"Celena…." Star whispered.

"Star, what's wrong?"

"I… I … Marco…"

"What?"

"Marco…. he's …. he's in pain. But… it….it feels like he is in love…. with…. with someone else…." The tears ran harder than before. Celena put her arms around her.

"What do you mean? Marco isn't here. How do you know what he is feeling?" Celena began to stroke her hair.

"I don't know…. I-I just feel his feelings. A-and something is telling me that he is growing affectionate to someone right now…" Star continued to stare off with her arms hanging. Celena let go of her to look Star in the face. She then noticed that Star's makeup began to wash away from the tears.

"Star, your cheeks," Celena whispered. The scare seemed to bring her back to reality, evident by a loud gasp and a quick hand to her cheeks. Fortunately, she decided to where her scarf today so, in response to, she pulled it over her face. Celena waited for a moment for Star to calm down. "Do you like Marco, Star?"

"No…" Star's eyes bolted to Celena.  
"Do you… love him?" Celena treaded carefully.

"I… I …," Star tried to speak but caught view of a few guards walking towards them. Panic began to fill her body as she grabbed Celena by the shoulder and turned her.

"Hey, Star!" Celena began to complain.

"Just stay quiet and keep walking. We are being followed," Star hushed her voice as she and Celena began to walk away quickly. After a few minutes, Star could hear the guard's footsteps increasing in speed. Both girls began to sweat as they picked-up the pace.

"Excuse me. Miss may we have a word? Miss!" The guard yelled as Star and Celena took flight. "Ladies! Halt!"

"Keep going, Celena!" Star yelled as the two kept running. They heard whistles behind them as another set of guards came down an alley way. Star and Celena stopped to examine the area and took flight again in an opposing alley way. They ran until they found their way to a main road. "This way!" Star yelled as she and Celena began to run down the road. The sounds of clinking metal and footsteps caught up with the girls. A fruit cart got pushed into their path. In response, Star wiped her hand out in front of her body and the car was shot back in the direction it came from, knocking the guards down in the alley way.

"Star!" Celena yelled as she tripped on rolling fruit. Star turned back quickly once her heard Celena's body slamming into the ground. Both girls were breathing heavily as the guards began to surround them.

"Halt! We have you surrounded. Come quietly and will see to it that your charges will be less severe,' a guard said as they held spears to the girls.

"Star…" Celena said quietly as the tears began to fall from her eyes. She looked down at her friend. These guards will kill her on the spot if they find out she is a monster _ **.**_ Star would be sent home then sent to reform school once they found out it was her. Then there was Marco _ **. I will never get to see him again…**_ Star thought to herself. The guards crept ever closer when Star closed her eyes. _**This isn't how it is going to end.**_

"No!" Star's eye's bolted open to reveal white light pouring out. The guards froze until an invisible force shot them backwards and kicking up dust. Star fell to her knees from the exhaustion. Some of the guards remained standing since they were fortunate to have been standing far enough away.

"Captain! Are you alright!" the guards from the outside began to tread slowly. Their visibility was only 2 feet in front of them.

"Star. Get up. We need to go," Celena stood up to wrap one of Star's arm around her to help Star get up.

"Celena…" Star said quietly. The two began to move slowly thought the dust. After a moment, Star began to regain her strength, more so when they could hear clanking metal and footsteps approaching them. Th two girls looked around and saw a store next to them. Without hesitation, they ran through the door and closed it quickly but silently. The girls turned to see a familiar black beard and balding head. This time, the man looked upon them with curious eyes.

"Little lady? What brings you here? Don't you realize there is a lot of commotion outside?" The blacksmith lifted an eyebrow to her. He took a look at Celena as he noticed she had patches of gray scales appearing on her face.

"Mr. Blacksmith, we need help," Star looked up at him with worried eyes. He gaze was sternly on Celena though.

"You brought a monster into my shop?" He turned to Star ass he winced at his statement.

"She's my friend…" Star said quietly. He sighed as he reached for a blade on a book shelf. Celena began to back off as Star positioned herself in front of Celena. Star's breathing grew quicker until he pushed the blade into the bookshelf. It cracked opened to reveal a secret room. He reached over and opened the bookshelf wide enough for Celena and Star to squeeze in.

"Get in quickly," The blacksmith ordered. Star and Celena didn't hesitate. Celena entered with Star following behind her until the blacksmith stuck his hand out to stop her. "Don't go leaving just yet. You and I have much to discuss." His voice was serious. Star nodded her head fearfully. Once she entered, the blacksmith closed the bookshelf. He walked over to his counter where he lay an ax down, waiting for the guards to show.

* * *

Marco continued to eat his lunch until he grabbed his chest _ **. Star….**_ His eyes grew watery as the pain flowed into his chest. Did… did she feel something? Or… or did something happen to her? He was getting lost in thought. Tom had been watching him as Marco reacted to the pain in his chest.

"She's going to find out," Tom said quietly to him. Marco looked at him in shook. Jackie turned to Marco as she heard Tom whispering to him. It made her feel concern.  
"Hey, are you ok?" Jackie put a hand on his shoulder. Janna looked up when she heard the question.

"Yeah… yeah, I'm fine," Marco replied. "Let's just finish our lunch. We need to be going in a little bit," Marco gave Jackie a fake smile.

"O-ok," Jackie reluctantly agreed as they sat and ate in silence once again.

* * *

A couple of guards rushed into the blacksmith's shop who, in response to the rush, raised his ax at the guards.

"Steady! Lower your arms!" One guard yelled.

"Well, thank corn. It's just the guards," The blacksmith laughed as he placed his battle ax on the counter again.

"Sorry to burst into your shop like this Sir Morrison, but we are in search of a couple of young ladies," One guard explained.

"Aren't we all, young man? Ha ha ha!" Morrison laughed hardily.

"Yes. Indeed," the guards didn't seem to be amused. "Anyways, one of these girls is suspected to be a monster."

"A monster in our village? Why, we haven't had something like that happen for quite some time now! When I heard all the commotion outside, I knew it had been something serious. So, I go the old battle ax ready to protect my shop," Morrison laughed as he patted his ax.

"So, you haven't encountered a couple of gals that came this way? One with golden hair and the other with black hair?"

"No one has come into my store with those descriptions, but I could have sworn I saw some movement through the dust. It was heading for the south gate," Morrison pointed into the direction of the gate. The guards looked to one another as they made their way to the door.

"Thank you, Sir Morrison. Every bit of intel we get is helpful," The guards said as they walked out of the store.

"Good luck!" He yelled at them. He walked up to the window to see that the dust had cleared and the guards moving away from his shop. Once they were out of site, he drew his curtains and locked his door. He walked over to the bookshelf and opened to find 2 pairs of eyes looking up in fear. "Care to explain to me what's going on?"

"Uh… well," Star looked to Celena who had sweated so profusely that most of her makeup was gone. Morrison looked at the gray scaled girl with curiosity, which threw her off seeing that most Mewmans hated monsters. That wasn't the case here. Star had explained to him about their encounter, who Celena really is and how she wanted to make it up to her by taking her on a shopping spree. Throughout the story, Morrison had a cold stare. Once she was done, she waited with much fear on what he had planned to do with them. What he did next, yet again, threw the girls off.

"Bwahahahahahahaha!" Morrison laughed so hard that he bent over in pain with tears soaking into his beard.

"You're not…. Upset?" Star questioned him.

"For what?" Morrison was wiping away the tears.

"You know… because I am a monster," Celena pointed to herself.

"Oh, my dear. I have no issues with monsters. As a matter of fact, I have a few to them living in my home!" He stopped to breath.

"What!?" Star and Celena's jaws hit the floor.

"Yeah. I offer them shelter and food from my fields in exchange for work on my land. It gives me the opportunity to keep up my shop and have a farm at home."

"How do you manage that? Don't you get visitors or travelers that go by?" Star grew curious about the matter.

"Oh, they are good at hiding. A few of them have such a keen sense that they just know when a Mewman is coming from a mile away. Always scouting the area so they don't get caught and such. Heck, they are even better farmers than I am. Plus, it helps that I live at least an hour, by horseback, from the village. I don't get a lot of visitors," Morrison explained happily as he lifted his hand to the girls to signal them to follow them and the girls did so obediently. "To tell you the truth, young lady, remember when I told you my daughter had recently met someone?" Star nodded as they walked to the back of his store to stand above a massive rug at the center of the room. He kicked it over and bent over to pick up a loose floor board. There was a loud clank and the floor fell about an inch. "Well, I never mentioned that that fiancé is a monster." Star and Celena's eyes popped open again. Morrison goth his fingers into a grooving from where the floor collapsed and pushed it aside to where an opening underground was exposed with a ladder to up and down.

"Secret tunnel," Star whispered with excitement.

"You may be the coolest elderly man I have ever met," Celena hopped with excitement. Morrison laughed at their comments.

"I'll take that as a compliment. Anyways, I have no problem with monsters. I even had a few as friends when I was younger. With my daughter, I just want her to be happy and her fiancé seems to be doing one heck of a job." He had the girls go down the hole first.

"Where are we going?" Star asked.

"We are leaving the village. Seeing that you two have caused quite the commotion today, don't expect to be waltzing out the front door. We are getting you out of here quietly."

"Thank you!" Celena had tears of joy running down her cheeks.

"Anytime, little lady. I just hope you were able to enjoy yourself. These people can be so bull headed from time to time. No one wants to take the chance and get to know monsters for how they are and not what they are."

"We have been here for a while and I did get to do a lot. So yeah, I still had a good time today!" Celena smiled at Star who just smiled in return. After a little while, they arrived at a massive rock. Morrison cracked his knuckles, placed his hands on the rock and gave it a good push. Light poured into the darken room and the sound of running water echoed down the tunnel. The threw walked out as she and Celena examined the area. Star smiled once she noticed the bridge above them.

"We are under the bridge before the village," Star turned to Morrison.

"Yes ma'am. A ten-minute walk that way and you are at the village. I chose this place for my secret entrance because few people ever cross this bridge, let alone at night."

"Why do you have this tunnel?"

"So, my son-in-law can work in my shop. He insisted on helping me with my metal welding. Since he can't just walk into the village during the day, I bring him to work in the shop at night through here."

"That's amazing," Celena was amazed with his compassion. "But… how are you going to close the hole back up?"

"I was hoping to get the help of the princess," Morrison smiled at Star who last all color to her face as her heart fell into her stomach.

"You…." She was at a loss of words.

"I know who you are."

"How long?"

"Ever since you came into my store. Come one, how many gals these days with blonde hair cover their faces? I will admit, the first time you came in my shop, I had my doubt. But seeing how you carried yourself and the way you acted with others, I knew that I was doing business with the lost princess."

"So why didn't you just turn me in?" Star feared asking.

"First off, it is not my business to know you ran away. Secondly, you are a Princess. I can't imagine what life would be like being of royal blood. I'm sure you have your reasons, I don't need to know them, for what you did. Maybe this is even a good thing for you. My only hope is that the through all you have been through, you will return to be Queen of these people. Let what knowledge you've gain influence your decisions for the better of the people." Morrison bowed to Star. Star felt overwhelmed with everything had had happened today, but a new sense of obligation towards the people of Mewni began to spark within her. She smiled at Morrison who stood tall once again with a smile on his face.

"Thank you… for everything you have done for us today," Star thanked him.

"Pleasure is mine. Now, your majesty, if you don't mind," Morrison tilted his head to the rock.

"It would be my pleasure," Star curtsied and pulled out her wand. With a flick of her wrist the rock began to roll back into place.

"Until we meet again!" Morrison laughed as the rock finally obstructed their view of him. Celena and Star stood silently, still processing everything that had happened.

"I like him," Celena offered an honest comment with a warm smile. Star return the gesture with one of her own.

* * *

Jackie swung happily on a swing with Marco pushing her gently. It wasn't the thrill that a child would get, trying to reach ever hire, instead it was that soft swinging where the main thrill is knowing that that important someone will be right behind you to reassure you that they haven't left. Even though it brought joy to Jackie's heart, it made Marco feel uneasy. In front of him was the girl of his dreams where, just hours ago, became his girlfriend. She was a fun loving, thrill seeking teen whose beauty was only matched by her amazing personality. It was all he ever wanted. But something deep down inside a little voice told him that he was wishing he was with someone else. That everything that he was doing was wrong and that he has made a mistake. A fat that he had tried to ignore to make the most of this moment. He was happy, or so he told himself. Then, all those feelings were interrupted with a new feeling. One of which that felt of urgency to get home; that a certain someone was only minutes away from getting home, or at least that is what it felt like. He let Jackie's body return to him to take hold of her by the waist and bring her close to him.

"I hate to do this, but I need to get going," Marco spoke softly into her ear. She turned to him.

"What? Already?"

"Yeah. I need to be home before Star or else she will know we came to Earth," Marco explained. Jackie stood from the swing to face him.

"Star? What does she have to do with any of this?" Jackie became offended. Marco scratched the back of his head.

"Nothing. I just don't want her to get upset that I came back without her. You know he loves seeing everyone."

"Really?"

"Of course, Jackie."

"So, it has nothing to do with us?"

"No." Jackie let a smile creep onto her face again.

"Alright Diaz. I hate to see you go but I understand. Just… hurry back," Jackie pleaded as she put her hands on his face.

"I will," Marco leaned down to kiss her. Even though the kiss was sweet, guilt made its way into it; a feeling he just couldn't shake off. A sight that Jana and Tom couldn't bear to see.

"How is this going to end?" Janna said.

"Probably very tragically. Marco has just dug his own grave. No matter what the outcome is, someone is going to get hurt," Tom said sincerely.

"Unfortunately," Janna added. "Don't go thinking I'm going to be kissing you goodbye," Janna smiled deviously at Tom.

"Not even in your wildest dreams," Tom replied.

"Tom!" Marco called for him.

"Yeah! I gotcha!" Tom responded. He then turned to Janna. "Keep it creepy," Tom winked at her.

"Keep it heated," Janna responded as she watched Tom run up to Marco. Jackie stood next to Janna as they watched the boys disappear in a burst of flames.

* * *

The air was growing moist as the day began to retreat for the night. A moist wind mingled with the warm air, causing an increase in humidity. Despite all that had happened and all the turmoil, Celena was able to walk home with a content heart. She got to experience her first Mewman village where she got to indulge in their restaurants and taste the sweets of their candy shops. Not to mention her new dress, despite all the running they did she managed to hold on to her dress. Star remained quiet most of the walk home. She was too buys pondering the feelings that she had received form Marco. She desperately wanted to convince herself that she was wrong about this feeling and that he was going to be home when they arrived. Now, they found themselves just down the path. Celena turned to her side to find that Marco and Tom were approaching them. Celena put a devious look on her face.

"Here comes your boyfriend," Celena told Star who redden at the very thought.

"Celena!" Star jumped but turned to the directions Celena nodded her head to. _**See…. He has been her on Mewni the whole time.**_ Star told herself. When he smiled, she had to greet him with one of her own for that, for some reason, had the power to wash away her doubts and fears. It convinced her that everything was alright. Star's face grew hot as he carried a few chicken doves; he had gone hunting before the girls returned. Then there was Tom. Suddenly, all the good feelings were replaced with frustrations

"So, you didn't take him into the woods and shoot him?" Star joked as Marco came to stand in front of her.

"Hey!" Tom retorted.

"Nah. Ain't much of a hunter but he makes a good receiving dog," Marco chuckled.

"Hey!" Tom's yell grew louder. They began to walk back to the house together.

"So, how was your guys' day?" Marco walked next to Star.

"Good! It was good. All until the end…." Star smiled nervously.

"Really? What happened?"

"That's a long story. I'll tell you when we get home. How about you?"

"Oh! Uh…good. Just been hanging out with Tom all day," Marco laughed nervously. Doubt filled Star as she watched his display.

"What…." Star began to say as she saw Marco turn his attention to the house. She looked as well and notice a large, dark figure circling their house.

"Some is walking around our house," Marco placed his hand on the pommel of his sword. Star took the bow from Marco's other hand. "Quietly," Marco whispered to the group as they nodded. They moved quickly to the side of the house and crept along the wall. Marco was able to peek around the corner to see the figure had its back turned to them. Marco turned to the group and motioned with his head. In a quick moment, the group sprinted around the corner and charged the figure. The figure jumped 10 feet into the and behind the group. Star, Tom and Celena watched in surprise as the figure landed behind him. Marco was the only one who had reacted. Once the figure landed on its feet, Marco swung his sword and sent the figure flying; landing on its' shoulders. Star finally snapped out of it, ran to the figure and placed a foot on its chest with an arrow pulled back and aiming at his face. Marco had appeared at her side with his place pointed at its neck.

"Vait! I mean no harm! I just—Karate boy? Star girl?" The figure looked up in shock.

"Buff frog!" Star and Marco yelled in unison as they found themselves assaulting an old friend.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello Everybody! I am so sorry it has taken me so long to get the next chapter up. I completely understand that you have lost all faith in me. I would too. I had just burnt myself out so bad with my story keeping. I would stay up until midnight writing even if i had to be at work at 3:30 in the morning. So i was extremely tired. And then it doesn't help that I am and absolutely lazy individual. I hope that you guys can find it in your hearts to forgive for the hiatus i went on. And i do appreciate those who have reached out to find out if i was still writing. It means a lot to me that there are those who actually like my story. But enough about that. Let's get to the real reason why we are all here... without further adieau, Chapter 12!**

* * *

Chapter 12: Another Return Before Her Day

"Star Girl? Karate Boy!?" Buff Frog stared from the floor where Star and Marco had him pinned down.

"Buff Frog!" Star and Marco yelped in unison.

"And Celena!" Quick to understanding the situation, Celena took the moment to act silly and add herself in. Tom slapped his hand to his forehead. Star took her foot off Buff Frog and helped him off the floor, patting him down of dirt afterwards.

"What are you doing here?!" Star reassumed her carefree self and gave Buff Frog a hug.

"I could ask you two the same!" Buff Frog became excited to see these two very familiar faces. "Vhere have you been all this time?!"

"That's a long story," Marco chuckled as he patted Buff Frog on the shoulder. Celena watched contently as her friends acted so chummy with another monster, something that Tom noticed.

"What are you smiling about?" Tom asked her.

"Nothing. It's just… these two give me hope for the future of monsters," Celena turned to Tom.

"Yeah, well, that's those two for you. Marco has always been able to see the good in people, or in this case monsters, and Star could never hold a grudge. She could befriend just about anyone," Tom smiled at the two.

"They would make a great couple, wouldn't they?" Tom tripped over his own foot. Celena turned to him. "You ok?"

"Yeah! I'm good. Did this on purpose," Tom lay on his side as if the was relaxing. "I don't know about that anymore, seeing how that dummy is talking to Jackie now," He whispered to himself. Marco and Star walked side by side with Buff Frog, leading him to the house.

"Come in! Let's fix you up some tea! Or do you prefer coffee?" Star was excited. "Maybe for little bit. I have to be getting home soon. Left children with fiancé," Buff Frog smiled.

"Oh! You're getting married! Do tell! And how are the little bits? And…" Star grew very chatty. Marco just laughed at her as the all went into the house.

* * *

The group sat at the table with pastries at the center and a warm drink at hands. Marco and Star had explained their situation to Buff Frog who sat with amazement for what they had done together. To him, it was fairly awe-inspiring for two fourteen-year-old kids to run away to a forest that would have eaten most inexperience hunters alive and live without a home for almost a year. And then, with a little help from magic, built a home with their own two hands, grew their won vegetable and hunt for their meat and manage to make good money from corn. Many Mewmans, or monsters, would have spent years to accomplish what these two have done in such a short time period. Icing on the cake, the two had healthy builds and natural glows to their skins; signs that they were eating heartily and healthily.

"I must admit, you two have done great job at surviving on your own. Your house is very cozy and very vell built. Not to mention you have beautiful furniture. You said you make own clothes vithout magic?" Buff Frog was impressed.

"Yes, I certainly did. I still have sore fingers from when I started learning," Star raised her hands to show she still had small needle stick pricks on her fingertips. "Yeah, they are taking too long to go away," Star whispered loudly as she tucks her hands under the table. Marco laughed as he watched her being herself.

"Enough about us. Tell us what has been going on with you? You said you have a fiancé?" Marco turned to Buff Frog who turned a bit red.

"Yes. I have found someone very special to me. Funny thing, it vas by accident dat we met," Buff Frog sipped from his coffee.

"Tell us!" Star jumped up with excitement.

"Vell, ok. I vas vith babies by the swamp by my home; vee vere taking a stroll around the swamp like vee always do after dinner. Katrina saw vomen laying on swamp shore ahead of us so vee rushed to her aid. She vas unconscious so I carry her on back to home in hope to help. She slept for hours. Finally, vhen she voke up, my babies surrounded her. But she did not get scared. She laughed a laugh of angels," Buff Frog put a warm smile on his face.

"Awe…" Star clasped her hands together and rested her head upon them.

"You fell for her," Marco stated with a smirk on his face. Buff Frog nodded.

"Da. It was the first time in years I had heard the sweet sound of a vomen's laughter. Anyways, I gave her hospitality; I fed her, provided new and clean clothing, and helped her find her vay home."

"But you fell for her. Didn't you tell her?" Celena was getting sucked into the story.

"No, I didn't. She vas a Mewman and I a monster. I did not believe she vould except my affection for her. So, I help her home. Days past and me and my children continued life as normal. That vas until one day she appeared at my home. She said she missed my children. I told her she could return any time she like. Veeks vould go by and her visits became more frequent. Even to the point vee vould plan our days together. I loved vatching her play with little ones as they ran through grassy fields. Vee made playset for children and vhen she vould push children in their swing, she vould brush away her hair and smile sweetly at me," Buff Frog sat back in fondness of his memory. "Then she told me something I vould never forget."

"Vhat?" Star's eyes were filled with wonder.

"I think I have fall in love vith a monster." The girls put their hands on their chest, Marco smiled warmly and Tom just picked at his ears.

"So cheesy," Tom said under his voice.

"Shut up, Tom," Star said with a coo still in her voice.

"Vee have been together ever since. She moved in vith me and agreed to be my vife."

"What did her family think about all of this?" Marco had to ask.

"Truthfully, it has been just her and her father. Her mother had passed away vhen she was young and her father decided to leave the village there vere living in. They had been on their own ever since. But her father vas ok vith it. He said as long as I make her happy. Then he said not only he vas a blacksmith but he vas also trained to use all the veapons he had made," Buff Frog laughed at the thought of her father's threat. Star's eyes popped open as a thought ran across her mind.

"Mr. Morrison!? The Blacksmith?!"

"Yes… how did you know?" Buff Frog watched her in shock.

"He had told me his daughter was marrying a monster! That monster is you!"

"Yes!" Buff Frog laughed. "Vhat a small vorld ve live in."

"Wow. What are the odds of that happening," Marco chuckled as he watched Star jump up and down with excitement.

"He is just the coolest guy and he has done so much to help me. Omigosh!" Star squealed.

"Mr. Morrison, I owe him so much. I vas very happy when he gave me the hand of my darling, Angela. He gives me vork too. Vhich is vhy I am actually here." The group looked to him.

"What is it?"

"Vell, I was hoping to vork for some corn. Yes, Mr. Morrison grows own food, but I vanted to bring home something special. Ve truly enjoyed the corn you had sent him before that I vanted to get more corn from you. I don't have much money, but I could vork if that vould be ok. That, and it is not like I could vork for money….not many places that vould let a monster valk into store and spend money. And I vould hate to send my Angela to the store all the time."

"Of course! I mean, you don't truly have to trade work for it, you are more than welcome to take some corn," Marco told him.

"No, no. I vould prefer to vork for payment. I could do just about anything you ask." Marco sat for a moment than looked at Tom who seemed to strike the same idea as he did. Tom nodded approvingly to Marco.

"Well, now that you mention it, Tom and I have been working on something for quite some time now. Maybe we can use an extra set of hands," Marco smiled as he looked to a completely oblivious Star.

* * *

With Buff Frogs help, Marco and Tom were able to pick up speed building Marco's project. That following day, Buff Frog arrived at Marco and Star's home where Marco and Tom stood by the frame of the building.

"Vhat are you building?" Buff Frog approached Marco and Tom who looked back and greeted him with smiles.

"Good morning. This is a gift I am working on for Star. Her birthday is coming up in a few days and I wanted to help her achieve a dream she has always had," Marco explained.

"Her birthday is coming up?! Then ve throw celebration!" Buff Frog opened his arms excitedly.

"Dude, you know she would appreciate that," Tom turned to Marco who just laughed in response.

"Yeah, she would. Maybe that would be a good idea. I do have the CD player after all, and she does love to dance," Marco turned to Tom.

"Maybe I can invite Janna," Tom said quietly to himself. Marco's eyes bolted open as he stared at Tom.

"What did you say?"

"I said nothing!" Tom panicked as he pointed his finger at Marco. "UH…. let's get to work!" Tom walked away from them.

"He's right. We only got 3 days and we still have a lot to do," Marco said as he led Buff Frog to the building.

* * *

Star was reading through her book of spells while Celena was sweeping the floors. Star looked up from her book and smiled at the helpful monster. That, and Star need to lifer her eyes from the book for a while, seeing how the boys were outside working and had nothing else to distract her. She had begun her day early with the book; getting up almost as early as Marco did. And it didn't help that she spent at least 30 minutes watching him train himself his karate, train with his sword and doing a little bit of exercise. Unaware to her, Star had made it a bit of a habit to watch him exercise while everyone was asleep. Only problem is that she couldn't do it from her own room anymore. Celena had been sleeping in her room ever since they invited her to stay. That wasn't the problem. The problem is that she had to go to the kitchen where Tom happened to sleep on the couch that overseen the kitchen. She had been caught a few times already and, such as today, used the excuse of reading her book to cover up her true intentions. So here she was an hour later, head dizzy from reading and ready for a break.

"You know Celena, you don't have to do that right now," Star chuckled at her.

"It's no problem. It's kind of nice to have something to clean. When you live in the woods you really don't have anything to clean," Celena smiled then continued to sweep.

"If you say so," Star laughed. She looked out the window, unable to see the boys but she could hear the sounds of nails being pounded into wood and the occasional yell from Tom who would, most likely at least, smash his thumb with a hammer. "I don't know if the boys had told you, but do you know what they are building out there?" Star raised an eyebrow at Celena.

"Not at all. It seems they are trying to keep me out of the loop as well," Celena sat down across form Star when she finished. "Maybe there is a special occasion coming up?"

"No. Well… my birthday is in 3 days… but I don't know if Marco would remember that. He has been so busy with the farm and his projects that I wouldn't doubt that he had forgotten about it. Heck, he even forgot his own birthday," Star gave a faint smile.

"Oh Star, I wouldn't think he had forgotten that. He loves you," Celena smiled sweetly.

"What?!" Star jumped in her seat. Celena stopped to think about what she had said. She then shook her head.

"I didn't mean it like that Star," Celena responded.

"Oh…. right," Star sounded, almost, disappointed.

"Anyways, I'm sure he has remembered and is going to do something special for you," Celena tried to reassure her. Star smiled at Celena yet again as the thought made its way to her.

"Thanks, Celena. It's a great thought, but I would just be happy to just have you guys here with me."

"Now, why don't I make us some tea. We can both use a break, don't you think?" Celena stood from the table and walked to the kitchen.

"Yeah. That would be awesome. Oh! And I know where Marco stashes his cookies. I'll go get some. Just between you and me," Star whispered loudly at Celena who just laughed at her."

* * *

Evening fell upon the little house that sat at the edge of the forest that following night as Buff Frog, Tom and Marco sat in front of a large barn/stable. The roof was made of sheets of dark wood with tar paper underneath, something that Marc and Tom had made a quick trip to Earth for, and the walls were made of a naturally reddish-brown wood. The west side of the building was open with a ladder that went to an upper storage deck. To the east side were the 4 stable rooms for warnicorns, each with large swinging doors that was of a solid, dark wood half ways down and a bar like upper half were a horse, or in this case a warnicorn, can stick its head over to eat from a trough that hung on the door. Marco even had the great idea of hauling hay into the place to be ready. The most difficult part was obtaining all the pebbles that went around and to the inside of the barn. Marco wiped the sweat from his already cooling forehead and gave a sigh of relief. He looked to the two workers that help make this moment come true.

"We did it," Marco breathed out. Tom found himself laughing faintly as he looked down at his feet.

"Yeah, I guess we did. You know, it was tiresome building this thing, but surprisingly rewarding once it was done. It's a shame that we are already done," Tom chuckled.

"You do good vork. Nothing feels more manly then doing things vith your own 2 hands," Buff Frog patted him on the back.

"I'm kind of surprise Star hadn't come to bother us the last few days. Now if we can get her to wait 'til tomorrow," Marco stood up and stretched.

"I'm sure she will stay away. I had told her if she came and bothered us those last few days I would burn the thing down so she will never get to know what it was," Tom laughed as he floated to his feet.

"You did what?!"

"Come on Marco. I was just trying to buy us more time," Tom shrugged his shoulders as Marco turned to Buff Frog.

"It did vork," Buff Frog agreed with Tom. Marco slapped his hand to his forehead.

"Boys! Dinner time!" Star yelled from the house.

"Be right there!" Marco responded. "Will you stay for dinner?" Marco turned to Buff Frog.

"I vould like to, but I must be returning to babies and fiancé. I vill come in and bid my farewells though," Buff Frog smiled as he stood up.

"Well, alright. You two go on ahead. I'm going to lock things down here," Marco told Buff Frog and Tom.

"No arguing there. I need to eat!" Tom threw his arms into the air as he and Buff Frog, walked to the house. The sun had finally set but left the sky lit with red and purple light. Marco inhaled deeply as he enjoyed that moment of peace and quiet. The air began to crisp as the grass began to dance as the things that crawled in the night began to move about. He made his way into the barn stable. Then, was startled by the sound of a door slamming shut from the other side of the barn. He put his hand on the hilt of his sword, preparing himself for a fight. A loud gasp was heard by the hay. He moved slowly toward the hay. Unbeknownst to him, a figure floated behind him. The figured stared at him until it shrieked in shock.

"Earth Turd!"

"Aaaaaaagggghhhhhhh!" Marco yelled as he aimed his sword at the figure.

"Wait! Marco, it's me!" The flying unicorn head with pink hair and starry eyes called out. Her skin tone was blue and had hearts down her neck. And that was all there was to her; a floating head.

"Aaaaaaaaagggghhhhh! Pony Head!" Marco screamed again at the face of who it was.

"What's up, home fry! I can't believe you're here! I can't believe you're alive!" Pony Head flew around him excitedly.

"Pony Head! How did you find us!?"

"*Gasp* B-fly here too? Wow! I can't believe I finally found you guys! This must be the second-best day in my life! Ok, maybe the third best. Sorry Earth Turd, but nothing beats the day I had to eat my way out of a tub of ice cream," Pony Head laughed.

"Calm down! Stop acting all crazy," Marco was growing annoyed with her.

"Come on, Diaz! Lead me to my BFF!" Pony Head began to float away. Marco sighed heavily.

"Well, Star would be excited to see you. Come on, but try to tone things down a notch," Marco warned her while he opened the stable door.

"Pfft, please baby girl. I calm. I'm relaxed," Pony Head tossed her hair and posed as if she was going to take a selfie. Marco stared at her with annoyance. "What?"

"Nothing. Just trying to keep myself from losing my mind," Marco strained to speak.

"Yeah, whatever. Lead me to my bestie already," Pony Head grew demanding. Marco groaned in frustration again as he led Pony Head out of the barn.

"Just whatever you do, don't mention the smoke house," Marco said.

"Smoke house? Well for a smokehouse it is very spacious," Pony Head bought Marco's lie. Marco figured that if Pony Head couldn't keep her mouth shut, he could at least throw her off with a little lie. Star's Birthday was already tomorrow, and he didn't need Pony Head to go spoiling his surprise. Marco walked up to the door when Pony Head made herself heard. "Awe, it's a cute little cottage. It's so romantic. *Gasp!* Are you and B-fly romantically involved!?"

"What?! No! Let's just go inside and we will explain everything to you!" Marco yelled as he walked into the home. Upon entering, he saw Tom and Buff Frog sitting at the table with Star pulling a chicken dove from the stove. Even Glossaryck was attracted to the aroma of the bird and came floating out of the book. Star turned to him with a smile.

"There you are. You're just in time. The chicken dove just finished," Star greeted.

"Great…," Marco began to say.

"Mm. It smells delicious."

"What was that?" Star looked at Marco quizzically. He sighed as she stepped off to the side.

"We…we have a guest," Marco mumbled. Star's eyes grew wide as her best friend floated at the doorway. Pony Head caught a glimpse of her as well.

"B-fly!" Pony Head screamed as she flew into Star's arms.

"Pony Head!" Star gripped her tightly as tears formed in her eyes.

"Omigod, Girl! It has been years! I thought I was never gonna see you again!" Tears ran down Pony Head's face.

"I would have came back eventually," Star cried. "How did you find us?" Star let her go to look at her BFF.

"Yeah, I would like to know that as well," Tom said from behind Star. Pony Head looked over Star's shoulder to see Tom sitting at the table.

"Oh, girl. What is _he_ doing here?" Pony Head said.

"I ask myself that same question," Star smiled.

"Hey! I'm a loyal guest," Tom pouted. "Anyways, forget about me. What's your story? How did you get here?"

"Oh, so the little demon boy wants to play rough, huh?" Pony Head pointed her horn at him.

"Pony Head!" Star and Marco yelled. Pony Head turned her attention to them in shock.

"Oh, heh-heh. Right. So anyways, I have been searching for you ever since you disappeared," Pony Head replied.

"Ok, but how did you know to look for us on Mewni?" Star asked.

"Well, I didn't start here. I started looking for you at our hang-out spots; the bounce lounge, the realm of video games, the mosh pits on Galafomar, but I kept coming up short. So, I asked about on Mewni. I got a story from a guard that he had gotten his butt kicked by a stranger using a strange form of fighting."

"Karate," Marco concluded. It was true; in the first few days as runaways, Marco had to fight off a set of guards to protect Star. "When did you talk to that guard?"

"About a year ago. Anyways, so I searched around Mewni since then. I flew about every inch of the forest of certain death, crossed the Tar Pits of Blue Tongue, Fire spitting Hydras, I even boarded a pirate ship and sailed the seas for a bit. It was cool though. Johnny Blowhole was working among the pirates."

"How is old Johnny?" Star became distracted.

"Still blue and still got some moves," Pony Head began to move around as if she was dancing.

"Star… side track," Marco put a hand on a dancing princess' shoulder. She stopped to look up at him.

"Sorry. Pony Head, please continue," Star composed herself again.

"Right. Well, I ended up in a little village just east from here with no new clues as to where you were. I was about to give up hope when I heard another guard talking about someone using magic two days ago. So, I spent the next two days exploring the main roads that led to the village. I chose one road, found this little place and, BOOM, waited to see who lived here," Pony Head proud fully admitted. "Of course, that was just about an hour ago. I heard guys voices and waited in the forest until I could try and get close."

"Why didn't you just come knock on the door?" Celena asked.

"Oh honey, you know I'm fly. Who knows what kind of intentions they would have if they knew I was a girl traveling alone. It's easier to get away from one man than several."

"Don't worry you would have just been fine," Tom commented with an annoyed tone in his voce. Everyone else gave him the 'really?' look.

"Sounds like you had quite the adventure," Star chuckled.

"Anything for my best bestie. So, you gonna tell me what the heck you are doing out here!" Pony Head's eyes popped open with excitement, frustration and anticipation.

"It's only fair seeing how you told us your story. I'll tell you over dinner," Star lead Pony Head to the table.

"You cook?"

"Yup!"

"Girl, you sure you cooked everything thoroughly? I am too fabulous to get sick off your cooking,' Pony Head sassed her as they all sat at the table, or sofa, and enjoy dinner.

* * *

"Wow, Star. I didn't know you had it in you," Pony Head commented.

"Really?" Star giggled. With the sun finally resting on the horizon, Buff Frog decided it was time to go home. Marco didn't let him leave without his corn and other vegetable from the garden. Star even sent him home with a couple dozen eggs and some smoked meat they had stored away. Buff Frog really didn't want to take it, but she insisted. Even Marco agreed seeing that he and Star were humans and they could go get more anytime they wanted. And with a big smile and a tear in his eye, Buff Frog left. This left Star, Marco, Pony Head and Celena to returned to the table while Tom had sprawled onto the couch. From there, Star gave Pony Head her story about how she and Marco came to live in a little home outside the forest. Pony Head listened with much interest and mouth agape.

"I mean, I know you were tough and a little crazy…"  
"Excuse me?" Star furrowed her brows.

"…but who know you could do all of this without magic," Pony Head looked around the cozy stone and wood home.

"Well… 'mostly' without magic," Star shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh, and now that I can see you in the light I gotta say you are lookin' fiiiiinnneee," Pony Head turned her eyes on Marco who turned red with embarrassment and frustration.

"What are you talking about? I look the same," Marco covered himself with his arms.

"Yeah, but you got some extra length in your hair, you're much taller, and the farm life has made you solid, baby," Pony Head complimented. "And look at my BFF! She has long, beautiful hair, stands firm with curves, and her skin so soft,' Pony Head rubbed her cheek no Star's cheek.

"Pony Head, stop. You're embarrassing me," Star giggled. Marco couldn't help but to notice these features again. _**She's not a little girl anymore, is she? She's… she's…. beautiful**_. Marco's head grew light as a warmth touched his face. Star took noticed of this. "Marco? You ok?"

"Huh! Yeah! Yep. I'm good. Just, uh… just gonna get some fresh air," Marco jumped as he stood from his chair and walked outside. Star just watched.

"Oh…ok," Star said softly. Pony Head raised an eyebrow with a smile on her face. Tom stood up from the couch.

"I think I'll join you, Marco. It's getting kinda loud in here," Tom glared at Pony Head as he walked out. Celena just watched with a bit of confusion with the turn of events.

"Ooo, girl, you got it bad," Pony Head laughed at Star.

"What? No! I was just concerned about him is all, heh-heh," Star chuckled nervously.

"If I had a nickel for every time you said that, I would have my own castle by now," Celena butted in.

"Come on Star. That is the same face that Earth turd would use every time that Thomas girl walked by. You have a thing for Marco. I can see that," Pony Head felt confident with herself.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Star turned away.

"You don't have to lie to us, Star. Remember what happened a few days ago when you had a certain feeling in town?" Celina reminded her.

"Eww. That's disgusting," Pony Head commented. Star and Celena turned to her with confusion. "Oh. I thought you were talking about that feeling when you drank too much coffee and you're running to the bathroom because you can't hold it in anymore." Star's and Celena's faces turned into ones of disgust. "Happens to daddy a lot…. anyway, sorry for interrupting. Please continue. Tell me what feeling you were talking about." Star remained quiet for a moment, staring into her lap, fearing what she was about to say.

"Love…" Star said quietly as Celena and Pony Head stared. "It was Marco's feelings and he was feeling…. love. Or at least something close." A tear ran down Star's cheek.

"How do you know what he was feeling? Is there something I missed?" Pony Head was confused.

"I can't explain it, nor do I know when I could feel his feelings. All I know is that at times I can feel his emotions."

"Tom has mentioned to me that you and Marco shared a dance that would tie you two together," Celena said. Pony Head gasped.

"Did you dance under the Blood Moon!?" Pony head yelled.

"I believed that's what they called it. Have you heard of it?" Star turned to Pony Head.

"Totally. I only know the gist of it, but it was said that the light from the Blood Moon ties souls together. I don't know what that truly entails but it could explain why you can feel his impure thoughts."

"Feelings. Feelings Pony Head," Star got annoyed. "And there is nothing impure about his mindset."

"Mm-hm. You just keep telling yourself that." Star glared at Pony Head. "So, you gonna tell us or what?"

"Tell you what?"

"Do you like Marco or not?" Star turned to face the door, anticipating Marco to come through the door. She shut her eyes as she let her head hang as her mind swam in thought.

"I… I don't like Marco," Star said quietly. Pony Head and Celena felt a bit taken back from her response. Star opened her eyes to look into her hands and she remembered when a boy, two years ago, took her hand and ran away from their old lives of responsibility and duties. That same boy who would help fight off wandering guards and vicious predators of the forest; that same boy who helped build a home with their own 2 hands and kept them fed and thriving with their own farm. The same boy who would comfort her when she was down, who listened to her every word of shame and guilt, the one who helped her see that she was fully capable of living comfortably without the aid of magic. Marco Diaz; the only person she was able to pour herself into without ever fearing that he would detest her or leave her for who she is, who, instead, loved her for who she is. Love. "I love him."

"What?" Celena and Pony Head stared at Star with eyes wide open.

"I love him." Tears ran down Star's cheeks as she felt a massive weight lift off her shoulders. She felt relief in being able to say those 3 words. Even if he never found out, Star Butterfly was happy to be able to say how she felt. "I'm in love with Marco Diaz," Star looked up with a small smile.

"I knew it!" Celena jumped up in joy.

"I could've told you she did! I always knew she liked him! Oh! I saw this coming!" Pony Head screamed.

"Guys! Stop it! I don't want him to hear you," Star threw her arms up to try and hush her friends.

"What's wrong with that?" Celena asked.

"Because… because… I don't think he feels the same for me," Star let her arms drop to her sides.

"And what makes you say that?" Celena asked.

"I don't know. Ever since he saw Jackie again when we went back to Earth, I feel… that he is a little distant to me."

"I'm not picking up on that myself," Celena was a bit expressionless. At least for her, she always saw Star and Marco acting chummy with one another. In fact, she would have mistaken them for a couple when she had first met them.

"Oh B-fly, you're worrying over nothing. You know what would cheer you up? A visit to the Bounce Lounge," Pony Head floated in front of Star.

"Oh, no," Star chuckled nervously. "I can't leave."

"Why not?"

"Because I am hiding, Pony Head. My mom somehow discovered a way to sense magic being used anywhere on Mewni," Star crossed her arms.

"Come on B-fly. Tomorrow is your birthday and I wanted to take you places. We was going to have fun," Pony Head gave her puppy dog eyes.

"I'm sorry, but I can't. Marco and I have worked so hard to stay hidden and I don't know if I can handle another trip with Tom," Star held her stomach, remember the pain they felt when they traveled to Earth.

"Wait, what? Never mind," Pony Head shook her head as her curiosity depleted quickly. "Come on, Star. It's not like Marco has anything planned for you, right?" Star looked down. Celena watched with worry.

"I've only been here for a little bit, but I think Marco cares too much for you to forget such a day," Celena tried to comfort Star, seeing that Marco may have forgotten her birthday.

"Whoa, baby girl. You realize it is her birthday? She deserves to have some fun. I'm sure Marco wouldn't mind," Pony Head turned to Celena.

"But what if Marco wanted to do something for her and she wasn't here for it?"

"OH. You act like we wouldn't be here tomorrow night."

"You were planning to be gone all day?" Celena's eyes opened widely. Star just sat quietly as she listened to her friends bickering.

"Yeah I do. Back when Star and I use to hang out, we would began dancing and rocking out at concerts until the crack of dawn or we pass out from over exhaustion," Pony Head began to shake herself in excitement.

"That's even worst. Star, it's up to you. I don't really want to influence your decisions. I just thought I'd give you my opinion," Celena stood from the table to get herself a glass of water.

"No need to get defensive, baby. I just wanna have fun with my bestie," Pony Head watched Celena, who just turned to her and smiled.

"It's cool. I understand. Now if you excuse me, I will be going to bed. Goodnight Star. Goodnight Pony Head," Celena struggled to keep her smile, but she was feeling annoyed with Pony Head. Celena walked off to her room and closed the door behind her. Star sat in thought for a moment. Yes, she would love to go to the Bounce Lounge with Pony Head, but she feared being caught. Then, there was Marco. She had no idea if he wanted to do something for her on her birthday. If she decided to go with Pony Head, he would be upset. Especially now seeing that his temper has been on a short fuse lately.

"Ok. Somebody forgot to have their coffee this morning," Pony Head commented. "So, what do you say? Wanna get outta here for the night?" Pony Head turned to Star. She was still confused. She wanted to make Pony Head happy but then imagined a sadden face of a young man who went to wake her up for her birthday and she wasn't there. Seeing Marco like that would be heartbreaking to her.

"Pony Head, I would love to go to the Bounce Lounge with you," Star looked up.

"Oh yeah! Score 1: Me!" Pony Head celebrated.

"…but I can't."

"Excuse me, what?" Pony Head lie her eyes on Star.

"I can't risk it. Marco and I worked so hard to stay hidden. I would hate to destroy all that by letting my guard down."

"It's not like we're going to tell anyone," Pony Head began to whine.

"I know, but it doesn't mean I wouldn't be recognized. There is always someone on the look out to make a quick buck," Star looked upon a disappointed best friend.

"You sure I can't change your mind, B-fly?"

"Sorry Pony. I can't." Pony Head sighed with her eyes shut. After a moment of thought, Pony Head opened her eyes.

"Ok Star. But can we at least do something fun here?" It's still your birthday after all," Pony Head gave her a smile. Star placed her hand on her chest.

"Thank you, Pony. And I promise we will do something here. We can still dance out back. We have a CD player with great sound," She moved her arms in a way of dancing.

"Ok girl. Now to my next important question. Where am I going to sleep?" Star's eyes popped opened. _**Wow. We are getting really crowded in here**_. Star thought to herself.

* * *

"I'm telling you, Star, we should have tied Pony Head in the backyard somewhere," Marco chuckled as he sat on his bed.

"Ah! Marco!" She threw a pillow at him which was successful at making him laugh even harder. "She's our guest. Besides, if we were going to tie anyone outside it would have to be Tom." Star laughed as she grabbed her night gown from the drawer. "Don't look. I'm gonna change," Star warned him. Marco turned his back to her to avoid seeing, but also to hide a blush.

"Hopefully Celena will be okay with a roommate. I know Pony Head doesn't take too much space, but I can't imagine how her snoring is. She is loud about everything else she does,' Marco joked. Star threw her shirt at his head that draped over to the tip of his nose, leaving only his smile visible.

"I'm sure they will be fine. And, hey, it may be fun having her around more often. We can even put her to work," Star sat at the opposite side of the bed. She looked at Marco and smiled as he remained in the same spot with the shirt over his head. Star scooted to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders after she threw her shirt on the floor. Marco chuckled.

"Uh, Star?"

"Hm?"

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing," She simply commented. "So, uh… got anything planned… for tomorrow?" Star treaded carefully.

"No. Why?" Marco played it coolly, already knowing where Star was getting at. Star sighed.

"Just… just curious. Thought maybe…maybe we could make a big feast. You know, since…since Pony Head is here," Star tried to cover her intentions. Then Marco laughed.

"I don't know if that is something worth celebrating," Marco turned to her. He leaned his head onto hers. And like that, Star couldn't feel upset or saddened with this young man. She loved him too much to hold anything against him. "I got some work that needs to be done tomorrow. That's all I have planned."

"Then we shall all do our part and help you with it," Star concluded with a smile.

"Alright. Now, let's get some sleep. Something tells me we are going to need it," Marco brushed her cheek with his hand, causing Star to glow. With that, the two lay down and went to sleep.

* * *

Star's eyes popped open with a burning sensation to her face. In fear that she was dreaming, she sat up quickly to see if she was still with reality. She looked around; it was still Marco's room. Except everything seemed quiet. First thing she noticed was that Marco was gone. Star then noticed that the air was not cool, but warm. She looked to the window and noticed a lot of light pouring into the room, signifying that it was later in the day. Her eyes fell to the bed where Marco would have been laying if it was morning.

"They must all be awake," Star said to herself. She got out of bed and put on her daily clothes. When she opened the door, she saw Celena's door was wide open, but no was in there. "Pony Head? Celena?" Star poked her head in but there was no one. She walked over to the living room, but she saw no one. "Tom? Marco?" But no one responded. Star began to feel uneasy, thinking that she was home alone. "Maybe they are outside?" Star made her way to the back door. Upon opening it, she scanned the fields and saw no one. "Ok guys! This isn't funny anymore!" Star began to walk towards the cornfield. She was half ways to the field when she heard footsteps behind her. She remained calm. She waited until the figure drew closer. Then, there was a hand on her shoulder. "Hiyah!" Star threw her elbow back as hard as she could.

"Whoa!" A loud thud was heard upon the floor. Star turned to the figure in a fighting stance.

"Marco!" Star screamed in shock when she lay her eyes on Marco who was laying on his back with his hands on his stomach.

"I thought I was the karate expert," Marco tried to joke through the pain. Star knelt down next to him.

"I'm so sorry, Marco. I didn't know who was behind me, so I panicked," Star put a hand on his forehead.

"Don't apologize. Just glad to know you can still defend yourself without your wand," Marco sat up.

"Where is everyone? I was kind of freaking out when I noticed everyone was gone."

"Actually, that's why I'm here," Marco stood up. He held his hand out to Star to help her up. She took his hand and stood. Marco pulled a blindfold from his pocket. "I'm going to need you to put this on."

"What? Why?"

"It'll all make sense once we get there. But for now, let's put this on." Star stood still as Marco walked behind her and placed the blindfold on. "Now come with me." Marco took her hand and he led her, carefully, away from the house. They walked for a bit until Marco took both of her hands. "Ok."

"What's going on?" Marco placed her hands on something solid that stood in front of her. "Marco?" She heard his footsteps behind her again. She felt his hand on her blindfold.

"On the count of three, I want you to push."

"What?"

"One. Two. Three!" Marco pulled back on the blindfold as Star thrusted her hands forward. Once she could see, she saw all of her friends in front of her in an empty horse stable.

"Surprise! Happy Birthday, Star!" The group yelled. Tears ran down Star's face with excitement as Celena and Pony Head jumped up and down with a dozen Buffy babies, Buff Frog and his fiancé holding up a cake and Tom and Janna hung out off to the side.

"Guys! You did all of this for me?" Star cupped her hands over her chest.

"Of course we did!" Celena jumped in excitement.

"You're the greatest B-fly!" Pony Head rocked herself.

"And I like cake, so I'm here," Janna chuckled.

"Janna Banana!" Star hugged her until she was embraced in a group hug. Marco walked up to them. Star turned to him. "I… I honestly thought you forgot," Star wiped her tears away.

"I would never forget such a beautiful day," Marco wrapped his arms around her where she breathed heavily into his shirt. "Happy Birthday, Star."

"Thank you," Her voice shook softly.

"Alright. Enough touchy-feely junk. Let's party!" Tom fist pumped with his hands on fire while everyone cheered.

* * *

Star walked around the stable, amazed with what Marco and Tom had been doing together. Star walked by the huge swing gates where a horse would stay, sleep and be fed in. Marco walked up behind her.

"So, what do you think?" Marco stood next to her.

"It's beautiful. I can't believe you guys did all of this," Star smiled while Marco chuckled.

"Well, I had too. I wanted to give you something meaningful for your birthday."

"This… is really for me?" Star still had a sense of disbelief.

"Of course, Star. I do recall a 14-year-old girl once told me she wanted to tame and raise wild warnicorns," Marco walked up to one of the pens. He swung the gate open where a saddle trimmed with pink leather hung on a rack. Star gasped. "I wanted you to live that dream by helping you get started." Marco placed a hand on the saddle. When he turned to face Star, she flung herself into his arms and held him tightly.

"This is the greatest gift anyone has ever given me. You are truly the greatest person I have ever met," Star buried her face into his chest.

"I don't know if that's true. Only because I have the greatest person ever in my arms right now," Marco wrapped his arms around her.

"Marco!" Janna poked her head into the stable to find Star and Marco in each other's arms. "Whoa… getting a little extra for your birthday, eh Star?" Janna raised an eyebrow with a devious grin on her face. Marco and Star jumped back from each other in response.

"It's not what you think, Janna!" Star yelled at her with a bright red face.

"Uh-huh. Anyways, Marco, you left Tom with that boar thing. He's gonna burn it to a crisp," Janna pointed out the door.

"What?! Tom! Don't touch that!" Marco flew out the door. Star walked up to Janna.

"I'm so happy that you came, Janna," Star wrapped her arms around her.

"Glad I could make it. Tom was persistent that I come. Besides, I had been wondering what your place looked like," Star and Janna made their way outside. "Got to say; pretty nice."

"What's this about you and Tom?" Star raised an eyebrow to her.

"Nothing. We've just been hanging out. I get to roll with a demon and he gets a little attention. It all works out," Janna chuckled. "How about you? Any cute guys you've been talking to?" Star chuckled nervously.

"Nope! Nope. Just Tom and Marco. Not that I think Tom is cute. He disgusts me," Star began to babble. Janna stared at her. "What?"

"And Marco?"

"And Marco what?"

"Is Marco cute?"

"What!? Ew! No! Well, I wouldn't say he is cute. Handsome. Handsome would be a good word, but I wouldn't say that. Maybe… maybe gorgeous. He is very attractive…," Star grew nervous as she continued to babble. Janna watched her with a bit of shock at Star's response.

"Wow. You're crazy about him."

"What!? No! No. he's my best bud, my BFF, my homie for life. Nothing more…yeah…yeah, I kind of love him," Star was hyperventilating until she dropped her arms in defeat.

"Star! That's a big word to say!"

"Hush, Janna. I don't want him to find out," Star hushed her as they got closer to the group. Star sighed heavily. "Just… please keep this between us. I don't want Marco to know."

"Why not?"

"Because I would rather have him as a friend than not at all," Star lowered her head as she walked away from Janna.

"Oh, this is going to get ugly," Janna said to herself. Star walked over to the group. Marco had sat the radio against the house so they could listen to music while he cooked a freshly hunted boar like creature. The boys had ran a pike through it and would turn it over a stone fire pit they had put together. Early that morning, Buff Frog and his fiancé, Angela, brought extra tables and chairs so they could eat out back. The tables were placed around the fire pit. Everyone, except the children who ran about the back yard and running through the corn fields or messing with Star's and Marco's two headed cow or staring at the chicken dove coup, sat at the tables. Little Katrina ran into Star while running from her brothers. She knelt down and hugged her.

"Oh, little Katrina! You've gotten so big!" Star pinched her cheeks. The little frog monster just laughed as she ran off again Celena came out from the house, wearing her dress from the village and with a plate of cooked corn.

"Marco! The corn is ready!" Celena yelled.

"Great! Put a plate at each table!" Marco responded. Janna walked up between Marco and Tom with a can of soda in her hands. "Where did you get that?"

"Form that ice chest," Janna pointed at a big ice chest by one of the tables.

"Where did that come from?"

"From my house. I had Tom take me home a while ago, so I could bring drinks. No offense, but I wasn't going to drink water all day. Boring," Janna leaned against Tom.

"No, it's ok. I'm used to being used here," Tom remarked.

"Yeah, but you like it when it's me," Janna poked him on the side. Tom hissed as he turned his head away, only to hide a blush. Pony Head flew over to the radio and turned up the music.

"Whoa! Let's get our party on!" Pony Head danced around.

"Yeah! Go Pony!" Star joined her.

"Come on, Buff Baby! Dance with me!" Angela pulled Buff Frog up from his seat to join the others. Even Celena jumped up and joined them. Marco chuckled as he watched Star having fun. He just loved watching her sway her arms and twist and thrust her hips. Her hair flowed gracefully around her in a way that would take his breath away.

"Marco, you're going to burn the meat," Janna pointed at the boar that had suddenly stopped spinning.

"I wasn't staring!" Marco jumped. Tom poked his head out from behind Janna with that 'I am not amused' look. "I… I mean sorry," Marco turned back to the meat and started turning it again. Janna and Tom raised an eyebrow to each other, then looked at Marco.

"Dude, if you want to go dance with her, you can. I will watch the meat," Tom raised and arm to him.

"Me? What? NO! I don't dance."

"If you're worried about Jackie, I won't tell her anything," Janna patted him on the shoulder. Marco shook his head.

"No. It's fine. And… and I'm with Jackie… I guess. I wouldn't want to do anything that could hurt her," Marco stared into the burning coals.

"The longer you wait, the more its gonna hurt." Marco turned to Tom who had his gaze fixed on him. Marco thought about it.

"Marco!" Star yelled. It broke his chain of thought as he turned to her. "Come on! Dance with me!"

"Star! You know I can't dance!" Marco replied nervously as Star laughed. She ran up to him and grabbed his hand to pull him closer to the music.

"Come on, Diaz. You have done way harder things before. As long as you're having fun you can't do it wrong." Marco felt his heart race as she smiled at him. Once they got back to the dancers, Star let one of his hands free as she began to dance, holding his other hand. She giggled as she pulled on his hand and her feet skipped across the floor and her arms swaying to the beat of the music. Marco chuckled with embarrassment. He began to sway like a pine tree being pushed by the wind. He felt his shoulders began to move and his arms moving in unison with Star's. "Yeah! That's it!" And like that, Marco found himself dancing with Star. He laughed as he found his rhythm. _**I can dance! She never fails to push me out of my comforts and showing me that I can do it! She's… she is the greatest person I have ever met…**_ Star's dancing seemed to slow down in time as Marco thought and watched her admirably. Marco laughed as he pulled Star to him. In response, she spun into him. She looked up into his smiling face and she felt hot; she began to sweat. She laughed as he twisted her back out. Janna and Tom watched from the pit.

"Man, they even look good dancing together," Tom bent towards Janna.

"Yeah. Too bad they're too stupid to realize it," Janna replied.

"Give it time. They won't be able to run from their feeling for too long. Let's just worryabout that boar," Tom turned to the boar while rubbing his hands together.

"Whoa, whoa. I will watch the food. you will only burn it to a crisp," Janna turned to him.

"Hell yeah I will. Everything tastes better burnt to a crisp," Tom laughed as Janna tried to push him away.

* * *

Everyone sat at the tables, enjoying the meal that Marco and Celena prepared. Everyone, except the children who just enjoyed their game of hide and seek through Marco and Star's cornfield. Star melted with every bite she took from the meat with its warm juices bursting into her mouth. Then there was the corn that had a terrific pop that would cast the flavor to dance on her tongue.

"You guys did a phenomenal job," Star complemented Marco and Celena. Marco had sat next to her while Celena sat across form her. Celena put a big smile on her face.

"Thanks Star! Marco gave me a quick run down on how to cook corn and I followed through with his preparation."

"That's nice of you to say, but you still did the work. You did a great job to be in fact. All the kudos go to you," Marco complimented Celena who continued to eat with much gusto. After they were done with their meal, Janna and Tom walked over to Star with her cake. Star's eyes widened with wonder as she stared at the cake. It had red and pink frosting flower petals with green frosting leaves. Whatever wasn't flowers or leave, it was colored with white frosting. Written across the top of it was 'Happy Birthday Star' in a beautiful cursive hand writing. She gasped as she saw her name.

"Marco! You didn't have the baker write that did you?"

"Of course not. Tom did that," Marco pointed at him as Star and Janna turned their attention to Tom

"What? I have great hand writing. So what," Tom pouted as he crossed his arms.

"It's beautiful, Tom. Thank you," Star smiled sincerely. Tom was taken back a bit since she, finally, didn't pay him back with an insult.

"I still think its girly," Janna smiled at him deviously. Tom hissed at her as his eyes turned red. Janna just laughed at him. Marco placed a few candles on her cake while Tom lit them with his index finger.

"Ready? 1, 2, 3!" Marco counted down.

"We just came 'cause we had to say, Happy Birthday on your Birthday day! Happy Birthday on your Birthday day!" The group sang. Star inhaled deeply and blew out her candles while everyone cheered for her. She looked upon her friends with a big smile. Marco cut up the cake, giving Star the first piece then proceeding to give everyone a slice there after. Even the kids stopped by so they could get some cake. _**The party went smoothly**_. Marco smiled as he watched everyone eating happily.

* * *

The afternoon rolled in as the party began to wind down. Buff Frog and his fiancé were getting ready to leave with Marco and Star walking them to the path. The kids just ran around their parents and their friends, still trying to burn off the sugar rush they had. Angela laughed as she began to chase the little ones.

"Thanks for coming over and helping set up the tables," Marco smiled at Buff Frog.

"It vas my pleasure, Karate Boy. Anything for a friend."

"You sure you guys have enough? We still have plenty of food." Buff Frog laughed as he looked at a hand drawn cart that was big enough to carry his chairs and tables. Difference now was that there were two large buckets of vegetables, including corn, meat from today, and some chicken dove eggs. Even with all the food he'd given Buff Frog, Marco felt as though he could have given him more.

"I am sure. This vill feed my family for a little vhile. Thank you for having me and my family over."

"And thank you for bringing the little ones," Star caught a few buff babies that were running by and gave them a big hug.

"Children vere very happy to see you too," Buff Frog smiled at the happy babies. "Vell, vee must be going. It is long trip and I vant to get home before sunset."

"Ok. Bye! Thanks for coming!" Star waved to the family as they began their trek home.

"It was nice meeting you!" Angela yelled back.

"You too! We have to do lunch some time! Don't be shy on coming over! You're always welcomed!" Star yelled back as Buff Frog, Angela and the kids disappeared down the road. Star sighed happily. "This has truly been a great day." Marco chuckled.

"I'm glad it was. Everyone worked so hard to make today happen," Marco walked up to her. Star turned around to face him.

"Now I feel terrible. Your birthday was _nothing_ compared to this."

"Don't be like that. Believe it or not, I was happy my birthday was quiet. Less to have to clean up," Marco joked.

"Still, though. You are always going out of your way to make me happy. You truly are something special," Star began to turn red.

"I don't know about all that. I'm just happy with how it all turned out," Marco turned around as he began to walk back towards the house. Star bit her lip as she watched him walk away _ **. Marco… should I tell you how I feel? But what if you become angry with me? Or what if you avoid me?**_ Star's thoughts ran wild. She thought she could be happy with admitting her feelings to her friends, but watching him walk away, as if it were for good, proved that she wanted more. After relieving herself of one weight, it felt like a whole new one, or even heavier, was placed on her shoulders. They had always been together for better and for worst, but something was burning in Star, saying she was almost willing to take that chance.

"Marco!" She couldn't help but yell. Marco spun back quickly, fearing that she was in danger or in need of assistance.

"What?" He walked briskly to her. Star looked up into his brown eyes. _**Yeah… so much taller…**_ Star thought to herself.

"I… I… uh…. um." Saying what she wanted to say was proving difficult. "It's just… I…I…"

"Are you feeling ok?" Marco grew confused. He knew Star has always been a silly girl; playing jokes, blowing things up, and the countless fights she got them into, but something was definitely lost here.

"Yeah. No. I just want… wanted to say…" she was losing it. Doubt began to swim about her mind as it was proving difficult to formulate anything intelligible. _**I can't…I can't do this... too hard and so…so afraid.**_ Star began to panic. Then they heard neighing in the distance followed by the sounds of trotting. _**Warnicorns.**_ "I wanted to say there were wild warnicorns around here," She finally spoke. Marco raised an eyebrow.

"Warnicorns?"

"Yes! I-I was wondering if you would help me catch one…now. Seeing how my stable is empty," Star twisted and played with her fingers. Marco sighed in relief. He was nervous that Star had a problem or that something was bothering her.

"Warnicorns. Is that what all of _this_ was about?" Marco gestured at her with both hands. Star nodded nervously. "Yeah. Let's do it. Let's go get you a warnicorn." Marco smiled. "I actually have a rope sitting in my room for this occasion. Let me go get it and we can sneak off and let everyone else enjoy their time together." Marco ran into the house. Star sighed heavily as if she was going to deflate. _**At least he didn't suspect anything. I'm glad, and yet… yet I am not.**_ Star stared at the house riddled with confusion.

* * *

"This is it!" Ludo screamed as he stood before a handful of monsters; at least 20 monsters from the looks of it. They ranged from beast like monsters to twisted trees and boulder like monsters. Even a few lizardon stood within the midst of the monsters. Bob began to cower at Ludo's feet in fear that he was going to be struck down.

"Forgive me, Master Ludo. Much of the monsters under our employment are far too weak for the task at hand. And many more have begun to flee or get thrown into solitude."

"I gave you one chance to redeem yourself and this is what you give me! I asked for any army. What you have given me is no bigger than a book club!" Ludo pointed his wand at the monsters.

"No Master. I promise that hey are the best of the best. They are trained to love the hunt and savor the kill. They will get you what you want." Ludo turned his less-than-amused gaze upon the monsters once again. Strong faces with the resistance to make a sound was what he found.

"Hm," Ludo walked up to the monsters. "What is your mission?!"

"Get the book. Get the wand, sir!" The monsters chanted. Ludo put a devious smile on his face.

"Oh, they will do just fine. Don't you think so, wand?" Ludo held his wand against his cheek. It warbled in response. "Yes, you are quite right. Why wait any longer? Bob!" Ludo yelled as the monster groveled at his feet. "Get the scissors. We're going on a little trip."

* * *

Star and Marco sat behind a bush as they watched a few adult warnicorns grazing. They were the typical size for a horse with the horn of a unicorn. The difference was that they had a rainbow of colors in their teeth and looked rather roughed up with deep scars and they had the hair of their tails cut off; at least, not all of them. Most were gray in color with a few of them of a different color. The one Star had her eyes on was purple with ivory hair. A warnicorn of this color would see fewer battles and have other warnicorns compete for it's right to mate with it. She was still fairly young from the looks of it. She only had a few minor cuts and she did not stand as tall as the other warnicorns.

"Ooh. I want that one," Star whispered to Marco as she grabbed his face and pulled it to hers as they stared at the warnicorn.

"All right. So… how do you claim one?" Marco asked.

"You gotta wrestle with a warnicorn," Star turned to him. Marco frowned.

"What?"

"Yeah. You gotta pin one down to show that you are worthy to be its rider. It forms a bond on intensity between the owner and the rider. Most Mewmans wait until a few months after a warnicorn is born to form that bond. We don't have the time for that. Besides, where's the funny of showing your dominance to a wee babe. This is gonna be violent." Star had a craze excitement in her eyes.

"Ok. I don't know if I want you to do that," Marco grew worried.

"What? Marco. It'll be fine. I just need you to draw the others away while I take 'Sparkle Butt' down." Star took the rope from Marco.

"Sparkle Butt? You all ready named it? And what kind of name is that?"

"You worry about yourself, Boo. Besides, if we get lucky, you'll get your very own warnicorn too!"

"I'm just doing this for you. I don't have any intention on wrestling a wild animal."

"But Marco, I wanted us to do this together. We always do everything together," She turned to him with saddened eyes. Marco looked into those big, beautiful eyes as his heart began to race. He groaned loudly.

"Fine."

"Yay!" Star jumped up and gave Marco a hug. She released him to look at the warnicorns again. "You ready, Marco?"

"No," he replied blandly. Star made a lasso while Marco crept away from her. Once he got far enough, he picked up a rock and threw it at the warnicorns. "Hey, you pony headed cows!" He yelled as the warnicorns turned to him. They began to neigh loudly as they charged him. "Oh no…" Marco said to himself as he began to run. The purple warnicorn began to charge as well but Star popped up from the bushes, threw the lasso and ringed the warnicorn's neck.

"All right Princess Sparkle Butt. Show me what you're made of!" Star squealed with glee as the warnicorn turned its attention to her. It stomped its hooves to the floor, preparing for a mad charge. With a powerful neigh, it charged. Star smiled as she watched the animal lower its horn to her. "You're mine!" Star jumped sideways then grabbed hold of its horn to use its body weight to bring it slamming to the ground. Star began to wrap the rope around its powerful, flailing legs. After avoiding a few skull shattering kicks, Star was able to pull the rope tight and bound all four legs. The warnicorn's body still flailed violently across the flowers until Star went to sit on its neck and put its snout into a choke hold, only to be able to stare the creature in the eye. "Easy girl! It's ok. We are gonna be best friends." Star began to stroke the hair of the warnicorn with her fingers. It stayed eye to eye with Star for a while until it grew calm, breathing slowly and anger fleeing its face. "That's it." Star rubbed its snout. "Now, I'm going loosen the ropes, so don't kick me." She reached back and pulled an end of the rope, causing the ties to loosen. The warnicorn jumped back up to her hooves with Star jumping up next to her. She began to run her hands down the length of its back. Star began to laugh in relief. "I did it. I did it! I did it, I did it, I did it!" Star began to jump in glee as her warnicorn watched. "Ok, ok. Let's do this nice and easy." Star stroke the warnicorns back as she walked to its mid-section. Carefully, Star sprung up and wrapped her left leg around the warnicorn. She sat still for a moment, anticipating the warnicorn to buck her off. It did nothing. Star exhaled with a giggle. "All right. This is awesome!" Star looked around in hope that Marco would come around the forest. After a while she began to feel nervous. She looked her warnicorn in the eye. "Ok. Princess Sparkle Butt, we need to find Marco." Star gently pulled on her warnicorn's hair and gave it a tap with her heels and her warnicorn began to venture into the forest.

"Star!" Moments upon entering the forest, Star heard her name. She looked around to see where it was coming from. "Star!" There it was again. This time, the sound was accompanied by galloping. She looked back to see someone coming her way. Her eyes grew wide as her hair was toppled in the wind. He came riding in as a warrior who had been away from home. The shadows popping in upon his face only to disappear into the yellowish and red hues of the evening sky. His warnicorn was quiet amazing too. Its skin color was of the darkest gray; almost black. Its hair was of a lightning blue. It had a firm, defined musculature and had the scars to prove it was a strong fighter.

"Marco…." Star was dumbfounded in their radiance.

"Star!" Marco and his warnicorn came to an abrupt stop in front of Star and her warnicorn. "Thank goodness I found you. I was beginning to worry." Marco touched her face. She couldn't help but to stare with her big blue eyes and redness in her cheeks. "You ok?"

"Yeah! Totally, totally," She pulled her face away to begin stroking her hair rapidly. "I-I see you got yourself a warnicorn."

"Yup. That group of warnicorns ended up chasing me up a tree. After about 30 minutes, they just lost interest in me! Everyone but Stormcloud."

"Stormcloud?"

"Yeah. His coloration made me think of dark storm clouds, shooting lightning bolts out," Marco explained as he brushed his hand through Stormcloud's hair. "He sat there waiting for me to get down. So, I figured I could use the force of gravity to take him down with my full body weight and here we are," Marco raised his arms boastfully.

"Heh. You never fail to impress me, Marco Diaz."

"Well, you're pretty great yourself, Star Butterfly." Star turned red with a smile on her face.

"Oh, stop. You're embarrassing me," Star turned away. Marco chuckled.

"But you are. Anyways, we should be getting back before night falls upon us," Marco and Stormcloud began to walk off.

"Hey! Wait for us!" She and Princess Sparkle Butt followed.

"I was thinking, maybe we should visit my parents tomorrow. They really wanted to see you on your birthday."

"That wouldn't be a bad idea," Star caught up to them. "Maybe your mom can fix up one of them Tres Leches cake. Oooooh. That sounds so amazing," Star began to drool.

"Maybe… you… you can send your parents another message or letter. You know, just to let them know how you're doing?" Marco treaded that thought cautiously in fear that Star would reject that idea. Instead, Star sat down quietly for a moment pondering the idea.

"Yeah… yeah. Maybe I will. This would be the second Birthday they would have missed after all…" Star looked to Marco who was all ready smiling at her. "Ok. Sounds like a plan," Star smiled back. "Now that that's settle, race you home!" Star tapped her warnicorn to speed off.

"Hey! No fair! You got a head start!" Marco did the same as they chased the laughing girl all the way home.


End file.
